Roman Kopylov is set to take on Paulo Costa in a pivotal middleweight bout at UFC 318 this Saturday, marking the biggest fight of his career. After overcoming a rocky start in the promotion with an initial 0-2 record, Kopylov has remarkably won six of his last seven fights, including a stunning last-second headkick knockout over Chris Curtis.
Kopylov Embraces the Chance to Fight Paulo Costa
At this week’s media day, Kopylov expressed great enthusiasm about facing former title challenger Paulo Costa in the co-main event slot. He described the opportunity as a significant milestone for him and a platform to showcase his skills to a wider audience.
I’m very happy to fight against such an opponent as Paulo. This is a big name, this is a huge opportunity for me, a co-main event,
Kopylov said.
I’m excited, I’m ready, and this is a chance for me to show what I can do.
He emphasized the honor of featuring on a pay-per-view card and promised to give fans an impressive performance.
It’s a huge honor to me, I’m very thankful… I’ll make sure to try and answer their trust and do whatever I can to show a great fight to fans.
Respect for Costa Despite Recent Career Challenges
Kopylov acknowledged Paulo Costa’s recent difficulties with activity and past losses but maintained that Costa remains among the elite in the middleweight division. He noted that despite the interruptions and setbacks in Costa’s career, his ranking within the sport reflects his level of skill and experience.
Either way, with all the delays and all the mishaps with his career, he’s still in the top 15, which is still the elite part of the division. So I think he’s exactly in his career where he’s supposed to be.
Kopylov Questions Costa’s Prediction of a Quick Finish
When asked about Paulo Costa’s bold statements claiming he would finish the fight early, Kopylov reacted with skepticism, drawing on past experiences with opponents who made similar claims but did not follow through in the cage.
Many times in my career, I’ve seen somebody say something like that, but not a lot of people were able to successfully commit to what they said. We’ll see on the 19th, the fight will show, but we’re excited to see what’s gonna happen.
The upcoming showdown at UFC 318 not only offers Kopylov a chance to cement his status as a top contender but also presents a test for Costa to prove his resilience after recent challenges. Fans await a compelling clash that could shape the future trajectory for both fighters in the middleweight division.
Our Reader’s Queries
Q. What is Paulo Costa ranked?
A. Paulo Henrique Costa was born on April 21, 1991, and is a professional mixed martial artist from Brazil. He fights in the Middleweight category for the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). As of June 10, 2025, he is ranked 13th among UFC middleweight fighters.
Q. Is Paulo Costa still fighting?
A. Paulo Costa returns to fighting after a year away and aims to use UFC 318 to rejoin the top middleweight fighters. The Brazilian, known for his knockout power, has lost his last two fights and will face Roman Kopylov in the co-main event this Saturday in New Orleans.
Q. What rank is Paulo Costa?
A. By June 10, 2025, he is ranked 13th in the UFC’s middleweight category.
Q. Why did Paulo Costa pull out of UFC 294?
A. “They’re keeping him in hotels so I can’t find him,” Costa mentioned. He had to have two operations to recover from a staph infection. White confirmed there was no chance of Costa fighting because doctors hadn’t medically cleared him. “He’s badly hurt and needs to address his elbow,” White added. “He has a staph infection.”