UFC president Dana White has pushed back on Paulo Costa's claim that the promotion is keeping him inactive, stating flatly that Costa has been offered fights and turned them down. Costa, who knocked out Azamat Murzakanov in the third round at UFC 327 for his light heavyweight debut, has since threatened to request his release if not given a booking. White dismissed Costa's frustration as unfounded, making clear the inactivity is the fighter's own doing.
UFC president Dana White publicly contradicted Paulo Costa on Wednesday, asserting that the Brazilian contender has been offered fights and declined them — directly rebutting Costa's suggestion that the promotion is responsible for keeping him on the sidelines.
Costa, 35, enters this dispute as a newly minted light heavyweight, having made his debut in the 205-pound division with a third-round knockout of Azamat Murzakanov at UFC 327. The Brazilian carries a 16-4 record and currently sits sixth in the light heavyweight rankings. Fighting out of orthodox stance at six-foot-one with a 72-inch reach, Costa is one of the sport's most prolific volume strikers, landing 6.26 significant strikes per minute at a 58 percent accuracy rate. Since the Murzakanov win, he has threatened to request his release from the UFC if a booking is not secured.
Murzakanov, the man Costa put away in that debut, is ranked eighth in the division at 16-1. The 37-year-old Russian southpaw stands five-foot-ten with a 71-inch reach and posts 4.7 significant strikes per minute at 57 percent accuracy — making his loss to Costa a meeting of two aggressive, high-output strikers.
White's response offered no sympathy, framing Costa's frustration as self-inflicted and dismissing the release threat without elaboration.
Why it matters
- Costa is ranked sixth at light heavyweight, meaning fights at this stage carry real divisional weight
- A fighter-versus-promotion standoff, if unresolved, could cost Costa momentum following a strong divisional debut
- White's public pushback raises questions about which offered fights Costa declined and why, details that remain undisclosed
