Paulo Costa has spoken out about his frustration with the UFC, saying that since his win over Azamat he has been searching for a fight across light heavyweight, middleweight, and even heavyweight. He states that UFC executive Hunter Campbell's only answer has been to tell him to wait, and with July now here he remains without a booking. Costa has one fight remaining on his contract and wants it to happen soon.
Paulo Costa has gone public with his frustration over what he describes as prolonged inactivity forced on him by the UFC, with the Brazilian middleweight still unbooked as of July 2026 despite holding one fight left on his contract.
Costa, known as "The Eraser," carries a professional record of 16 wins and 4 losses and is currently ranked 13th in the middleweight division. The 35-year-old orthodox striker out of Team Borracha stands six-foot-one with a 72-inch reach and is one of the more aggressive volume fighters in the 185-pound class, landing 6.26 significant strikes per minute at a 58 percent striking accuracy rate. Following his win over Azamat, he has been actively seeking a booking across three different weight classes — middleweight, light heavyweight, and even heavyweight — in an effort to get that final contracted bout scheduled.
According to Costa, UFC executive Hunter Campbell has repeatedly told him to wait, a response that has grown increasingly unsatisfying as the months have passed without a fight date materializing.
Why it matters
- Costa's final contracted fight gives him leverage, as the UFC must book him or risk losing him when the deal expires
- His willingness to move up to light heavyweight or heavyweight signals genuine urgency to fight, not a preference for a specific opponent
- At 35, inactivity carries real career cost for a high-output striker who relies on physicality
- A resolution could shake up the middleweight rankings at 13th, or create an intriguing cross-divisional booking above 185 pounds
