Paulo Costa has publicly volunteered to move up to heavyweight immediately and face Josh Hawkit at the upcoming White House UFC event without a weight cut. Costa claims he may be the biggest middleweight in history and suggests he could even be heavier than Hawkit on fight night. He argues that if former President Trump still wants Derrick Lewis on the card, they should find Lewis a different opponent. Costa also mentioned that if he gets the Hawkit fight at the White House, he can reclaim the $100,000 that Hawkit allegedly owes him.
Paulo Costa has thrown himself into the mix for the UFC White House event, publicly volunteering to move up two weight classes and fight Josh Hawkit at heavyweight on June 14, 2026 — no weight cut required.
Costa, 35, currently sits ranked 13th in the middleweight division with a 16-4-0 record. The Brazilian striker out of Team Borracha stands six feet one inch tall with a 72-inch reach and has built his reputation on relentless offensive pressure, landing an eye-catching 6.26 significant strikes per minute at 58 percent accuracy. He claims he may be the largest middleweight in UFC history and suggested he could walk into the fight heavier than Hawkit himself on fight night.
The callout carries an additional layer: Costa stated publicly that if he secures the Hawkit booking at the White House event, he intends to recover $100,000 he says Hawkit owes him.
Costa also addressed the existing card construction, arguing that if former President Trump still wants Derrick Lewis involved in the event, matchmakers should find Lewis a separate opponent rather than slot Hawkit in opposite the heavyweight veteran. Lewis, 41, holds an 8th-place ranking in the heavyweight division and carries a 29-14-0 record. The six-foot-three American, who trains out of Main Street Boxing and Muay Thai, owns a 79-inch reach and has long been one of the division's most dangerous knockout threats.
Why it matters
- Costa moving to heavyweight for this bout would be an unusually large weight class jump, raising immediate questions about competitive fairness and matchmaking logic.
- The callout puts pressure on UFC to clarify both the Hawkit and Lewis situations heading into a high-profile, politically charged event.
- A financial dispute between Costa and Hawkit adds a personal dimension that goes beyond typical divisional rivalry.
Sunday, June 14, 2026
