Paulo Costa Rips UFC's 'Pay for 3, Get 5' Fight Offers

Paulo Costa says the UFC has repeatedly tried to book him for five-round fights while paying him three-round money, and he's refusing to sign off on the arrangement as he plays out the final bout on his contract.

Costa fired back after UFC CEO Dana White suggested the Brazilian had simply been turning down fights offered to him. Responding on X, Costa listed the specific offers he says he received over the last five months: a five-round fight in Doha, a five-round fight in Abu Dhabi on six days' notice, and a five-round fight in Salt Lake City. "And somehow, they're all running the same promotion: PAY FOR 3, GET 5," Costa wrote, adding, "Amazing deals. Hard to pass up."

What Is Paulo Costa Actually Asking For?

Costa wants one of three outcomes before he'll step back in the Octagon: a standard three-round fight, a pay bump that reflects the extra two rounds a five-round main or co-main event requires, or a title shot. Short of that, he's said the UFC can simply release him from the final fight on his deal. None of those conditions have been met, which is why Costa remains without a booking despite the promotion publicly framing him as the one saying no.

The dispute matters because Costa isn't a fringe roster name asking for favors. He's a former middleweight title challenger who has since moved up to light heavyweight, where he's cracked the top 10 in the division. At 35, he's also acutely aware of the clock. He's sat out lengthy stretches before, most notably an 18-month layoff that ended with him negotiating a purse north of a million dollars, so he's shown a willingness to hold his ground rather than take a fight on the UFC's terms.

Why This Standoff Could Drag On

Neither side has much incentive to move first. The UFC can keep running cards without Costa and simply point to the offers already on the table, while Costa can keep declining them and let the clock run out on a contract he's already fulfilling to the letter. That leaves him in a kind of holding pattern: still under UFC contract, still unbooked, and burning prime fighting years at 35 while free agency talk builds around him. Given his track record of outlasting the promotion in prior disputes, betting against Costa folding first looks like the safer read, but the longer this goes, the more it eats into the fight or fights he has left to cash in on before testing the open market.

For bettors, the practical effect is straightforward: until a bout agreement is actually signed, there's no line to build around. If Costa does get his three-round fight or the money to match five, expect him to open as a live favorite in most light heavyweight matchups given his power and durability, but that conversation can't start until this contract fight ends.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Paulo Costa's dispute with the UFC about?

Paulo Costa says the UFC has offered him three separate five-round fights over the past five months while only paying him three-round rates, and he's refusing to sign unless he gets a three-round fight, more money, or a title shot.

How many fights are left on Paulo Costa's UFC contract?

Paulo Costa has one fight remaining on his current UFC contract.

What weight class does Paulo Costa fight in now?

Paulo Costa has moved up from middleweight to light heavyweight, where he is currently ranked in the division's top 10.