Bogdan Guskov expressed interest in fighting Paulo Costa. Meanwhile, Ivo Baranievski stated that he agreed to fight Guskov, but Guskov declined the bout. Guskov's teammate Gor Azizyan criticized Guskov, saying he has been talking too much after beating Kopylov and Azizyan, and that his "wings need to be clipped." Azizyan added that if Guskov doesn't accept the fight with him, he should stop talking about Russian fighters. The post asks fans if they would like to see a bout between Guskov and presumably Azizyan.
Bogdan Guskov finds himself at the center of a social media storm after calling out Paulo Costa while simultaneously being accused of ducking a closer-to-home matchup with fellow Russian fighter Ivo Baranievski.
Guskov, ranked tenth in the UFC light heavyweight division, holds an 18-3-1 record and trains out of GOR MMA. The 33-year-old from Uzbekistan stands six-foot-three with a 76-inch reach and has built his reputation on submission pressure, averaging 1.1 submission attempts per 15 minutes. His recent wins over Kopylov and Gor Azizyan have raised his profile, and he has been vocal about wanting bigger names — including a move down to middleweight to face Costa.
Paulo Costa, ranked thirteenth at middleweight, carries a 16-4-0 record and trains with Team Borracha out of Brazil. The 35-year-old stands six-foot-one with a 72-inch reach and is one of the division's most aggressive strikers, landing 6.26 significant strikes per minute at 58 percent accuracy.
The situation grew more complicated when Baranievski publicly stated he had agreed to fight Guskov, only for Guskov to turn the bout down. Guskov's own teammate Gor Azizyan then weighed in critically, arguing that Guskov has been talking too much since beating Kopylov and Azizyan himself, and that his "wings need to be clipped." Azizyan warned that if Guskov will not accept a fight with him, he should stop making noise about Russian fighters altogether.
Why it matters
- Guskov is ranked at light heavyweight but is calling out a middleweight, raising questions about his divisional direction
- Baranievski's accusation of a declined fight undermines Guskov's credibility as a callout artist
- The rift with teammate Azizyan adds an internal team dimension that could force Guskov to respond publicly or privately
- A Costa bout would cross weight classes and remains speculative without any official UFC involvement reported
