"He's broken" - Paulo Costa gives his prediction for potential Sean Strickland vs. Khamzat Chimaev rematch

Paulo Costa has long been at odds with fellow UFC stars Sean Strickland and Khamzat Chimaev. The Brazilian fighter, who previously competed at middleweight and currently fights at light heavyweight, has addressed the recent fight between Strickland and Chimaev. 

Earlier this month (May 2026), Strickland reclaimed the UFC middleweight belt by ending Chimaev's title reign via split decision at UFC 328. It marked the first defeat of the dominant Chechen fighter's professional MMA career. 

Nevertheless, owing to how closely contested their fight was, many in the MMA world have called upon the UFC to book an immediate rematch between Strickland and Chimaev. Well, Costa has now chimed in and predicted how their potential rematch could play out. 

Paulo Costa suggests that Sean Strickland broke Khamzat Chimaev

In an appearance on Submission Radio, Paulo Costa has given his assessment of the recent fight between Sean Strickland and Khamzat Chimaev. "The Eraser" suggested that the loss to Strickland has broken Chimaev.

Additionally, he alluded to the health issues that "Borz" faced a few years ago. Chimaev was afflicted with COVID-19, and he battled resultant health issues that kept him out of action for prolonged periods of time.

Indicating that Chimaev is very "emotional" and has been adversely affected by his first MMA loss, which came against Strickland, Costa stated: 

"Chimaev is always a doubt. I mean, it's always very questionable. When he can fight again? And how he gonna perform? I think he's broken already. I think his mindset is very fragile." 

Furthermore, Costa explained that Chimaev is in a bad position right now, implying that it isn't easy to handle all the criticism that comes one's way after such a defeat. He believes that "Borz" is unlikely to recover from it. 

Paulo Costa gives his prediction for potential Sean Strickland vs. Khamzat Chimaev rematch

Paulo Costa opined that he's unsure about when, and if, Khamzat Chimaev would return after his recent defeat. Incidentally, Costa himself suffered a split decision loss against Sean Strickland at middleweight back in 2024. 

Moreover, prior to Chimaev's defeat, many fans and experts expected him to move up in weight. Speculation abounded that he could fight Costa or Jiri Prochazka for the interim UFC light heavyweight title, while UFC light heavyweight champ Carlos Ulberg recovers from his knee injury. 

Costa recently stated he isn't interested in the Chimaev matchup anymore and reaffirmed the same during his aforementioned appearance on Submission Radio. 

Also, he predicted that Strickland would defeat Chimaev even more dominantly in a potential rematch. Costa said, "I think it (the rematch) is going to be even worse for Chimaev... I think Strickland gonna beat him easier... Because he knows already what he should do."

"The Eraser" pointed out that Chimaev is extremely dangerous in the first round, perhaps is somewhat of a threat for the first two rounds, and is thereby effective in three-round fights. But he feels that Chimaev isn't as impactful in five-round fights, as he can't sustain the frenetic pace he utilizes early on. 

As for his own career, Costa has expressed interest in fighting Jiri Prochazka for the interim UFC light heavyweight title next. 

 

Watch Paulo Costa discuss the topics below (*comments at 1:30 and 5:20-minute marks of the video):