Paulo Costa has expressed willingness to immediately move up to heavyweight to face Josh Howkitt, claiming he might actually be heavier than Howkitt despite being a middleweight. Costa suggested fighting at the White House event without a weight cut, positioning himself as possibly the largest middleweight in history. He also mentioned wanting to reclaim $100,000 that Howkitt allegedly owes him. Costa proposed replacing Derrick Lewis's opponent with himself for this potential White House fight. The callout represents an unusual cross-divisional challenge from a middleweight to a heavyweight.
Paulo Costa has thrown out a cross-divisional callout, publicly volunteering to jump from middleweight all the way to heavyweight to fight Josh Howkitt at the White House event, with the Brazilian claiming he may actually outweigh Howkitt and could enter the bout without a weight cut.
Costa, nicknamed "The Eraser," carries a 16-4 record and currently sits ranked thirteenth in the middleweight division. The 35-year-old from Brazil stands six-foot-one with a 72-inch reach and is one of the more physically imposing fighters in his weight class, which appears to underpin his confidence about competing at heavyweight. His offensive output is considerable, averaging 6.26 significant strikes landed per minute at a striking accuracy of 58 percent. Costa also floated a financial grievance in the callout, stating he wants to recover $100,000 he claims Howkitt owes him, adding an extra layer of personal motivation to the challenge.
To make the fight happen at the White House event, Costa proposed replacing the current opponent lined up against Derrick Lewis. Lewis, known as "The Black Beast," is an eight-ranked heavyweight out of the United States with a 29-14 record. The 41-year-old stands six-foot-three with a 79-inch reach and has built his reputation around knockout power, averaging 2.46 significant strikes per minute across his heavyweight career.
Why it matters
- A middleweight calling out a top-ten heavyweight is nearly unprecedented in the modern UFC era, raising immediate questions about the feasibility of the matchup.
- Costa's claim that he could outweigh an actual heavyweight puts his natural size front and center, though no official weights have been confirmed.
- If accepted, Lewis's scheduled card placement could be disrupted, with divisional and event-planning implications for the White House fight card.
- The $100,000 dispute adds a personal dimension that goes beyond a standard competitive callout.
