Paulo Costa has turned down the opportunity to step in as a short-notice replacement to face Khalil Rountree. Costa explained that he currently weighs around 106 kilograms and would need seven to eight weeks to cut weight properly, making the fight an unnecessary risk at this time.
Paulo Costa has turned down a short-notice opportunity to face light heavyweight contender Khalil Rountree Jr., citing his current weight and the time required to make a safe cut.
Costa, 35, competes at middleweight and holds a 16-4-0 record, currently ranked 13th in the division. The Brazilian out of Team Borracha is known for high-volume striking, landing 6.26 significant strikes per minute at a 58 percent accuracy rate — numbers that place him among the more dangerous hands in the 185-pound weight class. He stated he is sitting at roughly 106 kilograms at this time and would require seven to eight weeks to cut properly, making a short-notice appearance an unnecessary risk.
Rountree Jr. is a very different proposition in terms of division. The 36-year-old southpaw competes at light heavyweight and sits seventh in that ranking with a 15-7-0 record. Standing six-foot-one with a 76-inch reach — or 193 cm — he is a striker in his own right, averaging 3.88 significant strikes per minute, and has never recorded a takedown in his tracked UFC output.
Why it matters
- Costa would have needed to move up from middleweight on short notice, crossing a significant weight gap from his current 106 kg.
- His reasoning points to a responsible approach to weight management rather than reluctance to compete.
- Rountree Jr. now needs a replacement opponent, leaving his scheduled appearance in uncertainty.
- A future matchup between these two strikers remains a stylistic curiosity, though no such bout has been discussed officially.
