Paulo Costa Rips UFC 'Double Standards' Over Pereira Rank

Paulo Costa believes the UFC's policies are not applied evenly across its roster, and he is using Alex Pereira's heavyweight ranking as his prime example.

Costa took to social media to question why Pereira sits at No. 4 in the UFC's official heavyweight rankings despite having zero wins at the weight. Pereira moved up to heavyweight after vacating his light heavyweight title earlier this year, but he lost his only fight in the division, falling short against Ciryl Gane in an interim title bid at UFC Freedom 250. Costa also pointed out that Pereira remains ranked at light heavyweight even after that heavyweight loss, and argued Josh Hokit is being outranked by a fighter with no track record at 265 pounds.

Why Costa Is Bringing This Up Now

Costa's callout followed a separate controversy involving the UFC's flyweight division. Valentina Shevchenko vacated her women's flyweight title to deal with an injury, clearing the way for Natalia Silva to face Cong Wang for the vacant belt at UFC 332 on October 3 at Delta Arena in Salt Lake City. That decision to strip and refill the title rather than install an interim champion drew criticism online, and PFL women's featherweight champion Cris Cyborg weighed in, noting that UFC bantamweight champion Kayla Harrison has actually been out of action longer than Shevchenko. Cyborg's argument: if inactivity justifies vacating a belt, Harrison's title should be under the same scrutiny. Costa backed that reasoning before pivoting to his own grievance with the heavyweight rankings.

Costa has his own axe to grind with the promotion beyond rankings policy. He has been vocal about not getting a matchup he considers suitable for the final fight on his current contract, and this latest post reads as part of that broader frustration with how the UFC handles its business.

What This Means Competitively

Pereira's presence in the heavyweight top five without a win in the division is genuinely unusual by the UFC's own stated logic, which typically rewards recent performance at the specific weight class being ranked. His name value and status as a former two-division champion clearly still carry weight with the panel that compiles the list, even after a loss to Gane. For a fighter like Hokit, climbing the heavyweight ladder the traditional way, that kind of gap between resume and ranking is a legitimate frustration, and Costa is not wrong to flag the inconsistency even if his motives are tangled up with his own contract dispute.

None of this changes what actually happens in the cage. Pereira's next move at heavyweight, and whether he stays there or returns to light heavyweight, will matter far more to bettors and matchmakers than where he sits on a rankings graphic. But rankings do influence title-shot conversations and can shape how a promotion frames its next big fight, so the debate Costa is stirring up is not purely academic.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is Paulo Costa criticizing the UFC over Alex Pereira's ranking?

Paulo Costa questioned why Alex Pereira is ranked No. 4 at UFC heavyweight despite never winning a fight in the division, calling it evidence of the UFC's inconsistent standards.

Has Alex Pereira won a fight at heavyweight?

No. Alex Pereira moved up to heavyweight after vacating his light heavyweight title but lost to Ciryl Gane in an interim title fight at UFC Freedom 250.

What sparked the debate about UFC's rankings 'double standards'?

The controversy began after Valentina Shevchenko vacated her flyweight title due to injury rather than being stripped for inactivity, prompting Cris Cyborg to note that Kayla Harrison has been inactive even longer without facing the same scrutiny.