Paulo Costa recently shared a humorous breakdown of his strategy to stop Khamzat Chimaev in a potential matchup, sparking excitement among fans. This focus on how Paulo Costa stops Khamzat Chimaev highlights the ongoing tension between the two fighters following their failed bout at <a href="https://www.buzzineintl.com/category/mma/ufc/”>UFC 294 due to Costa’s injury.
Background on the Rivalry and the Missed UFC 294 Fight
The rivalry between Paulo Costa and Khamzat Chimaev has been marked by public animosity, with the fighters exchanging hostile comments on social media and in interviews. Their anticipated clash at UFC 294 in October 2023 was canceled when Costa withdrew because of an injury. Despite this setback, Costa continues to express eagerness to face Chimaev, recently accusing him of sending inappropriate direct messages to Costa’s partner.
Paulo Costa’s Comedic Breakdown of Stopping Chimaev’s Grappling
In a recent interview with Ariel Helwani, Costa responded to Chimaev’s UFC middleweight title win over Dricus du Plessis at UFC 319. He provided a lighthearted demonstration of how he plans to neutralize Chimaev’s aggressive wrestling style. Costa explained his tactic, saying,
“Once he shoots on my legs, because he’s gonna shoot in the very first second of the fight, I know that, I’m going to block his head right over here and [use my] knees.”
This amusing illustration quickly became a hit with fans, many of whom found Costa’s performance entertaining. Some even related his explanation to other notable UFC moments. One fan commented,
“This is how I described to my boys how I would’ve stopped Khabib [Nurmagomedov] if I was Conor [McGregor].”
Escalation After UFC 318 Win Against Roman Kopylov
Paulo Costa broke his losing streak in September 2023 by defeating Roman Kopylov at UFC 318 via unanimous decision. In the post-fight interview, Costa immediately turned his focus toward Chimaev, renewing his criticism of the fighter’s conduct. During an octagon interview with Daniel Cormier, Costa opened up about his feelings, stating,
“Everybody knows I hate that guy… Everybody knows who… Gourmet Chechen Chimaev. Yeah, he’s a big a**hole. My wife is over here. He DM’d her. Not good, you know. This is a bad thing in every culture. He says bad things about her, but he never said those things to me because he is a coward. Chimaev, the Gourmet Chechen, you are a coward. I’m here, I am going to look for you, I am going to chase you. I will not stop until I get to you.”
This confrontation added further intensity to their rivalry, making the prospect of their eventual fight even more anticipated by UFC fans.
Implications for Future Matchups
With Costa’s injury sidelining their planned UFC 294 fight, the tension between these two continues to grow through verbal exchanges. Costa’s confident and openly combative approach signals his commitment to facing Chimaev in the octagon, where an explosive showdown appears likely. Fans remain eager to see if Costa’s humorous takedown defense translates into success when they finally meet in competition.