UFC middleweight Paulo Costa's praise of Russian President Vladimir Putin has been met with predictable backlash.
Putin declared war on Ukraine last month after years of tension between the two countries. Over 20,000 civilians have since been feared dead in the city of Mariupol whilst other residents attempt to flee cities such as Kyiv and Svyatoshynskyi.
Countries have responded to Putin's actions by freezing the assets of many oligarchs linked with the Russian President. In the meantime, Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky admitted negotiations with the country have gone well.
Costa, a former UFC title challenger, recently labelled the US and French Presidents as "weak leaders" whilst praising Putin despite his recent actions.
"Vladimir Putin is not a weak leader like Biden or Macron," Costa tweeted. "He is an ex-military man who was once stabbed in the belly and survived. He is another level of world leader. You may hate it, but it's the truth."
The Brazilian's comments have sparked controversy among the fighting community with former UFC heavyweight Brendan Schaub being among those to criticise Costa. 'Big Brown' thinks many fighters should keep their opinions quiet when discussing politics.
"For some of these MMA guys, when they talk about politics, I wish you didn’t. If you knew the horrible s***, clearly, just turn on the news," he said on ' The Schaub Show.'
"They’re killing pregnant women, innocent children; murdering kids, bombing daycare centers, bombing hospitals …You don’t know what the f*** you’re talking about." You have no clue, dude.
"To tweet something like that, you’ve gotta be a god damn moron. You're a f****** moron.” But again, these guys, you wanna talk about, like, you have any idea what you’re talking about? Co-signing Putin."
What are your thoughts on Paulo Costa's praise of Vladimir Putin? Let us know in the comments section below
"Just pick up a goddamn book, man. Watch the news. You can’t co-sign this f****** devil. Talking about a really bad dude; responsible for thousands of lives, man. You have millions of people looking for safety and refuge here.”
It's not the first time Costa has shared his controversial political opinions. The UFC star has previously voiced his support for Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, who is known for his concerning views on homosexuality and women's rights.
Several Ukrainian fighters such as boxing heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk and Bellator titleholder Yaroslav Amosov have recently put their careers on hold to defend their country from Russian attacks.
UFC flyweight Maryna Moroz sent an expletive message to Putin before her UFC 272 fight, in which she later broke down in tears after dedicating the win to those suffering in her native country.
