Paulo Costa took one look at mighty Khamzat Chimaev and ran for the hills.
That’s according to “Borz,” who brushed off any questions about the injured Brazilian during the UFC 294 press conference earlier this week (watch the video replay here). Probably because Chimaev is too busy focusing on late-replacement Kamaru Usman.
“Don’t ask questions about that s**t,” Chimaev said. “The guy went home. He s**t himself. Be honest brother, he s**t himself. That’s why he ran.”
Costa was pulled from the UFC 294 pay-per-view (PPV) co-main event, which goes down on Sat. (Oct. 21, 2023) at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi, UAE, after a nasty Staph infection turned his already-wounded elbow into Swiss cheese (see the NSFW pics here).
UFC CEO Dana White insists the injury is “legit.”
“Paulo Costa can be a pain in the ass, no doubt about it, but he’s seriously injured,” White said. “He’s seriously injured and needs to get his elbow taken care of. He had a massive Staph infection. It’s legit. If it wasn’t legit, I’d be the first one to say it. Absolutely legit that guy is seriously injured, and he needed to do what he needed to do. I know that is not a popular answer for Khamzat but it is the truth.”
A timeline for Costa’s return has yet to be determined.
Chimaev will still be fighting for the next middleweight title shot, a decision that did not sit well with No. 2-ranked contender Dricus Du Plessis. Usman can also steal the next crack at the 185-pound crown, currently worn by middleweight veteran Sean Strickland. Unless the MMA gods smite UFC 294 and give us something non-definitive like a draw or No Contest.
We’ll find out this weekend in Abu Dhabi.
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