- Paulo Costa lost a decision against Robert Whittaker on UFC 298 card
- Brazilian is considering his next opponent and wants to face Khamzat Chimaev
- He claims Chimaev has ‘no balls’ and only wants to accept easy fights
Paulo Costa has taken a swipe at Khamzat Chimaev for having ‘no balls’ and only wanting easy fights in the UFC.
The Brazilian, who pulled out of a contest against the undefeated Chechen last year at the 11th hour, maintains that his middleweight rival is running scared.
Costa recently suffered a defeat on the scorecards against Robert Whittaker at UFC 298, meaning it is back to the drawing board for the powerful ‘Borrachina’.
He told Submission Radio: ‘Chimaev needs to stop running. He needs to have balls to face me. For a long time, long time, this guy just avoids these fights.
‘He has no balls. If the guy’s not pushing him, he has no balls to fight him. He wants to fight easy fights, he doesn’t want to fight guys like me or [Robert] Whittaker or somebody else like that.
Paulo Costa, pictured during a defeat by Robert Whittaker, called out Khamzat Chimaev
![Chimaev is still undefeated and was scheduled to fight Costa in Abu Dhabi last year](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/02/27/08/81761845-13130241-image-a-2_1709023808932.jpg)
Chimaev is still undefeated and was scheduled to fight Costa in Abu Dhabi last year
‘He wants to fight guys with no wrestling, no jiu-jitsu game, no grappling, something like that. No balls.’
‘It’s possible (a fight with Chimaev) in the near future. If I had won, I would not want to fight him, but right now it makes sense because I lost.’
Kamaru Usman stepped up to face Chimaev on short notice last year, replacing Costa after the Brazilian pulled out with an infected elbow.
Chimaev started in dominant fashion but faded as the fight went on and some fans felt he was fortunate to be given the decision.
Now Costa believes it would make sense for him to face the former welterweight champion next.
He said: ‘I think he’s coming from a loss as well, I came from a loss.
‘Me and him need to put a win in the records. I think he already did everything that he showed to do at welterweight, so I think it’s time.
![The Brazilian is open to facing Chimaev or Kamaru Usman (left) in his next fight](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/02/27/08/81761907-13130241-image-a-4_1709023949248.jpg)
The Brazilian is open to facing Chimaev or Kamaru Usman (left) in his next fight
‘He’s not so young as well, I think he’s 37, 36, I don’t know, somewhere around that. I think it’s time for him to move to middleweight.
‘He did once against Chimaev, ‘Gourmet Chen Chen,’ but it was not the whole process, he just got short notice and came up to middleweight weighing like a welterweight.
‘So I think this fight makes sense and he’s a powerful guy. He has different skills on the ground, wrestling skills, takedowns, and striking, I think it’s the fight to make and to put one of in the line again to the top.’
***
Read more at DailyMail.co.uk