Paulo Borrachinha

Paulo Costa is a Brazilian striker born in 1991 who grew up in Contagem and turned to Muay Thai and jiu-jitsu as a teenager, later supported by his mother and older brother (himself a former fighter) to pursue MMA full-time. He compiled an undefeated record in Brazil before joining The Ultimate Fighter, and made his UFC debut in 2017 with an explosive first-round knockout of Garreth McLellan. Over the next three years, Costa rose meteorically through the middleweight ranks, establishing himself as one of the division's most dangerous strikers with elite striking output and finishing power. His peak came in 2019 when he faced Yoel Romero at UFC 241 in a war that earned Fight of the Night honors and cemented his status as a title contender.

Costa's striking style is built on aggressive pressure and high-volume output, ranking second all-time in the UFC middleweight division for significant strikes per minute. He hunts the knockout with both hands and kicks, making every one of his fights a shooting match. This approach won him multiple Performance of the Night bonuses and earned him a middleweight title shot against Israel Adesanya at UFC 253 in September 2020. He lost that fight via second-round TKO, marking the beginning of a decline marked by injuries, contract disputes, and repeated withdrawals from major matchups. A six-month USADA suspension for prohibited IV infusions in 2018-2019 and a highly publicized 25-pound weight miss against Marvin Vettori further damaged his momentum and reputation for reliability.

Since that title loss, Costa has won some fights (notably a comeback win over former champion Luke Rockhold) but has become equally famous for pulling out of or disputing scheduled bouts with top contenders, fueling accusations of selective matchmaking. His recent move to light heavyweight in April 2026, where he scored a impressive third-round TKO over Azamat Murzakanov via head kick, suggests an attempt to reset his career. At 35 and ranked #7 in the light heavyweight division, Costa remains a volatile but thrilling striker whose elite hands and high-pace style can steal any fight, but whose history of inconsistency and contract friction keeps him from being seen as a reliable contender.