Paulo Costa has stated he is prepared to compete for the light heavyweight title against Magomed Ankalaev. Costa revealed that Carlos Ulberg is out for a year due to surgery, having spoken with him yesterday. With Ulberg sidelined, Costa believes the UFC should arrange a title fight, either for an interim or vacant championship. Costa insists he should be next in line to fight for the belt. The details regarding the specific nature of Ulberg's injury or the timeline for such a title fight remain limited in this statement.
Paulo Costa has publicly called for a light heavyweight title shot against Magomed Ankalaev, stating he is ready to step in after Carlos Ulberg was sidelined by surgery requiring approximately a year of recovery. Costa said he spoke with Ulberg directly and believes the injury creates an opening that the UFC should fill by booking him for either an interim or vacant championship bout.
Costa, 35, holds a 16-4-0 record and is currently ranked thirteenth in the middleweight division, meaning a step up to light heavyweight would represent a significant move in weight class. The Brazilian out of Team Borracha is known for high-volume output, landing 6.26 significant strikes per minute at 58 percent accuracy — numbers that make him one of the more aggressive pressure fighters in the sport regardless of division.
Ulberg, also 35, had been working his way toward a title opportunity after compiling a 15-1-0 record and climbing to third in the light heavyweight rankings. The New Zealander from City Kickboxing stands six-foot-four with a 77-inch reach and lands 6.54 significant strikes per minute, making him one of the division's more dangerous strikers. His surgery now places that title ambition on hold for the foreseeable future.
Ankalaev, 34, holds a 21-2-1 record and sits first in the light heavyweight rankings with a top-five pound-for-pound position. The Russian from Gorets Fight Club brings a well-rounded game, averaging 0.79 takedowns per fifteen minutes alongside his striking work.
Why it matters
- Ulberg's year-long absence removes the division's third-ranked contender from the title picture
- Costa's callout adds pressure on the UFC to identify a replacement challenger for Ankalaev
- A cross-divisional move for Costa would pit one of the sport's highest-volume strikers against a champion who controls pace and uses the grappling threat to dictate range
- The title's status — interim or vacant — remains unresolved pending UFC decisions
