Paulo Costa has stated he is prepared to fight Magomed Ankalaev for a championship. According to Costa, Carlos Ulberg is out of action for a year due to an upcoming surgery. Costa spoke with Ulberg yesterday, who confirmed he is out of competition. With Ulberg sidelined, Costa believes the UFC should organize a title fight, whether interim or vacant, and he plans to participate in it. Costa maintains he should be next in line for a title shot in the light heavyweight division.
Paulo Costa has publicly volunteered to step in and fight Magomed Ankalaev for light heavyweight gold, citing an injury that will keep Carlos Ulberg sidelined for roughly a year.
Costa, who competes primarily at middleweight and is ranked thirteenth in that division, has been campaigning for a move up to 205 pounds. The 35-year-old Brazilian trains out of Team Borracha and carries a 16-4-0 professional record. He is one of the more active strikers in the sport, landing 6.26 significant strikes per minute at a 58 percent accuracy rate. After speaking directly with Ulberg, Costa said the New Zealander confirmed he is facing surgery and will be out of competition for around twelve months. Costa argued publicly that the UFC should now organize a title fight at light heavyweight — interim or vacant — and that he should be the man across from the champion.
Ulberg, ranked third in the light heavyweight division, holds a 15-1-0 record and fights out of City Kickboxing in New Zealand. The six-foot-four, 193-centimeter striker is 35 years old and averages 6.54 significant strikes per minute, making him one of the busiest finishers in the weight class. His absence removes a prominent contender from the immediate title picture.
Ankalaev, the light heavyweight champion ranked first in the division and fifth pound-for-pound, brings a 21-2-1 record into any potential matchup. The 34-year-old Russian, who stands six-foot-three with a 75-inch reach, blends wrestling with sharp counterpunching, averaging 0.79 takedowns per fifteen minutes alongside 3.65 significant strikes landed per minute.
Why it matters
- Ulberg's year-long absence opens a vacancy at the top of a deep light heavyweight contender pool
- Costa is pushing for either an interim or vacant title fight, which would require UFC buy-in on both the matchup and the belt designation
- A cross-divisional move by Costa would pit his high-volume striking against Ankalaev's well-rounded championship skill set
