Daniel Cormier would like to see Paulo Costa fight Khamzat Chimaev.
If Paulo Costa wants more money from the UFC, he should say “yes” to a fight with Khamzat Chimaev.
That’s according to UFC Hall of Famer and former two-division champion Daniel Cormier, who believes Khamzat could be Costa’s ticket to a higher payday and a more lucrative contract
“Paulo Costa is about done with his UFC contract,” Cormier said in a recent YouTube video (h/t Harvey Leonard). The UFC will give you a fight to make you prove why we should pay you if you’re at the end because if Paulo Costa goes and beats Khamzat Chimaev, he might get anything he wants. So for him, it makes sense.”
He continued: “But if he gets beat and wiped out, now what? That bargaining power is a little bit less. Do you still kind of move the needle a little bit? Yeah. But imagine how much you would move the needle if you’re the first guy to beat Khamzat Chimaev and hopefully beat him impressively. Then, you hold all the chips. When I say chips, I mean the dollars, baby.”
Costa’s ongoing contract dispute with the UFC has recently made headlines, as the middleweight contender has demanded higher pay and a better deal. This dispute has caused Costa to turn down a fight against Robert Whittaker at UFC 284 and reportedly reject a six-fight contract extension with the promotion.
Costa has just one fight left on his current contract and looks forward to being a free agent in the near future. He last fought at UFC 278, where he defeated Luke Rockhold in a Fight of the Night performance at Salt Lake City’s Vivint Arena.