Paulo Costa expressed strong dissatisfaction that Josh Hewitt received a double bonus for his fight with Curtis Blaydes while Costa received no bonus at all. Costa argued that Hewitt had an excellent heavyweight bout but that his own performance against an undefeated Russian opponent deserved recognition. Costa finished his opponent early after three rounds of heavy striking and believes he deserved the Performance of the Night bonus instead of Hewitt. Costa revealed he was so upset that he wrote to Dana White and Hunter Campbell, expressing his frustration and hoping they would reconsider the decision. He stated the situation made him feel awful and that he trusted UFC leadership would take care of him and review what he believes was an error.
Paulo Costa has gone public with his frustration after being passed over for a post-fight bonus while heavyweight Josh Hewitt walked away with a double award following his bout against Curtis Blaydes at a recent UFC event.
Costa, the Brazilian middleweight ranked thirteenth in his division, made his displeasure known through direct messages to UFC president Dana White and executive Hunter Campbell. The 16-4 fighter argued that his own performance — a finish of an undefeated Russian opponent after three rounds of heavy striking — was more deserving of a Performance of the Night bonus than what Hewitt received. Costa said the situation left him feeling awful and expressed hope that UFC leadership would review what he considers a mistake in the bonus allocation process.
The 35-year-old from Brazil trains out of Team Borracha and operates as one of the more prolific strikers in the middleweight division, landing 6.26 significant strikes per minute at a 58 percent accuracy rate. Standing six-foot-one with a 72-inch reach, Costa has built his reputation on forward pressure and heavy output.
Curtis Blaydes, the fourth-ranked heavyweight at 19-6, is the fighter whose opponent Hewitt received the double bonus. The 35-year-old American out of Elevation Fight Team stands six-foot-four with an 80-inch reach and averages 5.38 takedowns per 15 minutes, making him one of the division's most active grapplers.
Why it matters
- Costa's public frustration and direct outreach to White and Campbell puts UFC bonus policy under scrutiny
- A middleweight ranked thirteenth, Costa likely needs both victories and post-fight recognition to climb toward title contention
- The situation highlights how bonus decisions can carry significant financial and morale weight for fighters outside the top ten
