SALT LAKE CITY – Paulo Costa might have one fight left on his UFC contract. He might also have no fights left on his UFC contract.
After he defeated Luke Rockhold at UFC 278, Costa (13-2 MMA, 5-2 UFC) said the road beyond is a bit murky right now. Unsure of whether or not his promotional deal is fought out or not, Costa said there are a few options on the horizon.
“We’ve had a lot of great opportunities (that) came up,” Costa told reporters, including MMA Junkie. “We know that boxing is going very well. We have some companies doing very good shows, even in Brazil. Brazil has a big show there, a fight music show. We had the most popular people in Brazil fighting there … We have a lot of great opportunities there, but the UFC is a great company. I’m glad to be here, but I need to see what’s best for us.”
If he does stay, UFC 283 in December in Rio de Janeiro seems like the most prime option for the Brazilian, who wants to partake in the promotion’s first card in his native country since March 2020.
“I can fight in a couple months, maybe two months next, of course,” Costa said. “I’d like to fight in December or end of November. But I know we have UFC Rio in Brazil in January, so maybe I can wait a little more. I don’t know if this is my last fight. I need to check with (my team), my people. If this is the last fight, so I have no more on the contract, I need to sit down and put attention and look what is best for my future. If I have one more, let’s see what Dana White has for me. I’m pretty sure they do an amazing job making exciting fights happen. They know how to eat.”
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 278.
