Magomed Ankalaev opens up about potential fight against Paulo Costa after UFC Abu Dhabi
Paulo Costa seemingly jibed at Magomed Ankalaev after his uneventful win at UFC Abu Dhabi. The Dagestani fighter has responded.
Magomed Ankalaev has suggested that he'd be willing to fight former UFC middleweight and current light heavyweight contender Paulo Costa.
The Dagestani combatant's assertion has come in the wake of Costa's apparent criticism of his most recent fight.
Magomed Ankalaev responds to Paulo Costa's apparent jab after UFC Abu Dhabi
Magomed Ankalaev's latest octagon appearance saw him defeat short-notice replacement Bogdan Guskov via fifth-round TKO in the headlining match of UFC Abu Dhabi on July 15.
Both Ankalaev and Guskov faced considerable criticism, as many fans accused them of being inactive to the point where even the eventual TKO sequence seemed more like the Uzbekistan-born fighter of Russian descent simply being exhausted.
Certain sections of the MMA community deemed the fight to have been boring. On that note, one-time UFC middleweight championship challenger Paulo Costa soon took to X and implied that he'll make the UFC light heavyweight division entertaining.
Costa wrote, "By the power of the Almighty, I shall save this weighclass from monotony and boredom."
By the power of the Almighty, I shall save this weighclass from monotony and boredom.
— Paulo Costa (@BorrachinhaMMA) July 25, 2026
During the UFC Abu Dhabi post-fight press conference, Ankalaev responded to Costa's X post. He alluded that reigning UFC light heavyweight champion Carlos Ulberg is still on hiatus due to a knee injury, and his comeback timeline is shrouded in mystery.
Noting that he's already the No. 1 contender and would like to stay active until Ulberg returns for their possible title clash, Ankalaev stated:
"I'm not sure what he (Paulo Costa) was trying to say; whether he was trying to bother me, or he was trying to get my attention. So if it is indeed that the champion is going to be out for a little while, then potentially we could have a good fight with Costa unless he's going to be running."
Moreover, Ankalaev signaled that most fighters engage in trash talk against him but "run" when they face him, adding that he'd surely "stand and bang" if Costa decides to do so. He underscored that he'd, ideally, like to fight at the UFC 333 event that'll transpire in Abu Dhabi on October 24.
Watch Magomed Ankalaev discuss the potential Paulo Costa showdown below (*comments at the 15:50-minute mark of the video):
Paulo Costa declined a short-notice fight against Magomed Ankalaev; recently met Eddie Hearn amid strained relationship with UFC
Magomed Ankalaev's road to his polarizing matchup with Bogdan Guskov was filled with roadblocks. Ankalaev was originally booked to face Khalil Rountree Jr. at UFC Abu Dhabi, but Rountree Jr. pulled out due to an injury.
With a few days left and Ankalaev left without a dance partner for the main event matchup, the UFC reportedly tried to rope in fighters like Jan Blachowicz and Paulo Costa, who declined the short-notice opportunity. Ultimately, Guskov, who was booked to fight Blachowicz at UFC Belgrade, agreed to face Ankalaev instead.
Well, Paulo Costa addressed the situation on The Ariel Helwani Show, highlighting that he was offered the short-notice fight but turned it down due to several reasons. "The Eraser" explained that it entailed around just 14 days to prepare, a 16-hour flight, a five-round main event clash for the same money as a three-rounder, and no interim title either.
The Brazilian MMA fan-favorite announced himself as a force to be reckoned with after moving to the light heavyweight division with an incredible TKO win over the then-unbeaten Azamat Murzakanov back in April. Costa has since insinuated, more than once, that he has just one fight left on his UFC contract, whose booking the organization has allegedly been delaying.
Costa even appeared alongside Matchroom Boxing boss Eddie Hearn at the Diego Pacheco vs. Immanuwel Aleem-headlined boxing event earlier this month. Hearn has been at loggerheads with UFC CEO and president Dana White, accusing the UFC of underpaying its fighters and ensnaring them in constraining contracts.
The aforementioned variables are considered to be indicative that although there is intent from the fans and the UFC to book a potential clash between ex-light heavyweight champion Magomed Ankalaev and fan-favorite Paulo Costa, the long-running UFC-Costa differences might prevent the matchup from materializing.
Paulo Costa reveals the UFC contacted him yesterday about replacing Khalil Rountree Jr. against Magomed Ankalaev after Rountree's withdrawal for UFC Abu Dhabi:
— Ariel Helwani (@arielhelwani) July 13, 2026
"It's less than 14 days to get a flight to Abu Dhabi. It's a 16-hour flight, five rounds, for the same money, and not… pic.twitter.com/98VtDANJFd
