Josh Hawkit posted screenshots of a text conversation with Paulo Costa in which Costa demands $100,000, writing "100k and we're even. Give me my money back." Hawkit responded with crude jokes, including asking if Costa likes pizza, then making a vulgar comment. In the post caption, Hawkit added "Stupid Brazilian." The exchange appears to reference some ongoing dispute between the two fighters, though the original context of the money demand is not explained in the post.
Josh Hawkit made a social media post on April 18 sharing screenshots of a private text exchange with fellow middleweight Paulo Costa, in which Costa appears to demand a significant sum of money from Hawkit.
In the screenshots, Costa writes "100k and we're even. Give me my money back," suggesting an unresolved financial dispute between the two fighters. The original context behind the demand was not explained in the post. Hawkit responded to the messages with crude humor, at one point asking Costa whether he likes pizza before following up with a vulgar remark. Hawkit's caption on the post included the phrase "Stupid Brazilian," adding a hostile tone to what was already a public airing of an apparent private grievance.
Costa, 35, is a Brazilian middleweight ranked 13th in his division. Fighting out of Team Borracha, the Orthodox-stance fighter carries a professional record of 16-4-0 and has built a reputation as one of the more aggressive strikers in the 185-pound weight class, landing 6.26 significant strikes per minute at a 58 percent accuracy rate over his career.
Why it matters
- The public nature of the exchange escalates what appears to be a personal financial dispute into an open conflict between two fighters in the same division.
- Costa's middleweight ranking means any reputational fallout could affect matchmaking conversations at 185 pounds.
- The tone of Hawkit's response and caption, particularly the ethnic slur in the caption, is likely to draw scrutiny from the broader MMA community and potentially from promotional management.
The underlying reason for Costa's $100,000 demand remains unclear, and neither fighter has offered a formal explanation for the origins of the dispute.
