Paulo Costa turned UFC 327 combat week into an ongoing feud with the Russian fighter and a brand new marketing campaign to attract Khamzat Chimaev right into a grudge match.
Costa will face undefeated Russian competitor Azamat Murzakhanov in his gentle heavyweight debut at UFC 327 on April 11 in Miami. This can be a semi-main occasion that might push him straight into the title image. The Brazilian, a former middleweight title challenger with a document of 15-4, bulked as much as 205 kilos and made Murzakhanov, who has a document of 16-0, the Russian seeking to lose for the second 12 months in a row.
Talking at Media Day, Costa stated he “likes to combat the Russians” and referred to as the Russians robust, however he modified his tune by leaning right into a extra hostile tone to promote the matchup.
“I hate Russians. That is the second time in a row on my document, however the third will in all probability be Chimaev. I need him subsequent after I beat this fats man.”
Paulo Costa hates Russians
The build-up started a couple of months in the past when Paulo Costa posted a photograph and message aimed toward “bald, chubby Russians”, a line that was broadly learn as criticizing Murzakhanov’s physique. Since then, he has saved that perspective alive by way of interviews and press appearances, mixing jokes and sharp feedback about Russian fighter jets usually. Latest social media headlines captured this tone, with Costa saying he “hates these fucking Russians” and quoting him as promising to name Chimaev if he raised his hand at UFC 327.
Chimaev stays the actual goal behind a lot of the trash discuss. They had been initially scheduled to combat at UFC 294 in Abu Dhabi in October 2023, however the combat fell by way of after Costa withdrew from surgical procedure to bear surgical procedure on an contaminated elbow. Chimaev remained on the cardboard, extending his undefeated streak after which defeating Drikas du Plessis at UFC 319 to win the middleweight title. Costa adopted his progress carefully, attending occasions and utilizing interviews to uphold his champion title.
UFC 327
Forward of UFC 327, Costa stated he could be keen to face Chimaev at middleweight or gentle heavyweight, insisting he might transfer between weight courses relying on the result of his debut combat at 205. In an look earlier this 12 months, he claimed {that a} robust victory over Murzakhanov would put him “on par with Chimaev,” whether or not it meant a title shot at 185 or a high-profile non-title combat. He framed Murzakhanov as one stage in a sequence of Russian opponents, and talked about Chimaev because the third title he wished in that bout.
For now, all eyes are on Murzakhanov. Murzakhanov is a compact, heavy-handed wrestler with an undefeated document and can look to spoil Costa’s first look at gentle heavyweight. Nonetheless, Costa revealed that his mouth is on two matches without delay. Put this “fats man” in a single barb and take him down, then use the microphone to pull Chimaev into the cage.
