Khamzat Chimaev Responds to Paulo Costa Fiery Threat at UFC 318: “Don’t Cry”

UFC veteran Paolo Costa gets a hilarious response from top middleweight contender Khamzat Chimaev after heated words.

Khamzat Chimaev Responds to Paulo Costa Fiery Threat at UFC 318: “Don’t Cry”

Khamzat Chimaev pokes fun at Paolo Costa (via Imago)

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Paulo Costa returns this Saturday for a thrilling middleweight battle against Roman Kopylov at UFC 318 after two consecutive losses. This fight marks Costa’s first UFC appearance since his defeat to Sean Strickland, motivating him to make a powerful comeback performance. Alongside preparing for Kopylov, Costa has also re-ignited his old rivalry with top middleweight contender Khamzat Chimaev.

The long-standing bad blood between Costa and Chimaev has fueled an intense rivalry with growing animosity between them. At the UFC 318 press conference, Costa confidently declared his intention to target Chimaev immediately after defeating Kopylov this Saturday. In response, the ‘Borz’ took to X, posting a sly, sarcastic comment aimed directly at Costa, further escalating their feud.

Bro, what’s going on with you? Don’t start to cry please.

Khamzat Chimaev via X

Previously, during the UFC 318 Media Day, Costa had revealed that Chimaev sent ‘dirty things’ to his partner on Instagram. According to the Brazilian, things are more personal now, and he wants to settle this beef inside the Octagon. Costa mentioned that he will call out Chimaev next but if the Chechen retires after UFC 319, the fight will not happen. 

The rivalry started after a fiery altercation inside the UFC Performance Institute training facility. Following their intense confrontation, hostilities have grown steadily, resulting in numerous heated verbal confrontations and constant social media back-and-forth. Although ‘Borz’ has recently adopted a calmer public persona, it hasn’t diminished his fierce competitiveness or hunger for thrilling battles.

UFC veteran predicts Khamzat Chimaev’s chances against the middleweight champion at UFC 319

Khamzat Chimaev earned his middleweight title shot after impressively maintaining his undefeated status. In his most recent dominant performance, Chimaev broke former champion Robert Whittaker’s jaw in the very first round. This win solidified Chimaev’s status as a legitimate title challenger, prompting Dricus Du Plessis to take the challenge. 

Khamzat Chimaev vs. Dricus Du Plessis at UFC 319
Khamzat Chimaev vs. Dricus Du Plessis at UFC 319 (via X)

Heading into UFC 319, Chimaev remains the clear betting favorite, though several fans strongly disagree with the current odds. Meanwhile, Chimaev confidently plans to finish  Du Plessis early, aiming to continue his remarkable undefeated dominance in the division.

However, former UFC champion Luke Rockhold discussed this matchup thoroughly in a recent interview. The ex-UFC star expressed his belief that Du Plessis possesses the skills to win. After all, the question on everyone’s mind is what happens to ‘Borz’ if he cannot finish DDP in the first two rounds.

He’s (Khamzat Chimaev) gonna get relentless pressure. He’s gonna start fast and hard. Can Dricus take [those] first two rounds? That’s what life’s about for his opponents. Can he withstand the barrage? Because he’s gonna break you…But, what happens to Chimaev if du Plessis doesn’t break? I just don’t see how Khamzat’s gonna keep that pressure. His intensity, you can only keep that for so long. That’s not five round material. DDP is tough…

Luke Rockhold via Submisson Radio

Chimaev has often faced criticism over his cardio, especially after visibly slowing down in longer fights against elite opponents. In his thrilling three-round war with Gilbert Burns, Chimaev struggled with pace, showing clear fatigue during the later exchanges. Similarly, against Kamaru Usman, Chimaev dominated early but noticeably faded in the third round.

Many fighters don’t think that the Chechen fighter can maintain his relentless pressure over five rounds. On the contrary, Du Plessis is known for his incredible gas tank and durability, maintaining pressure throughout intense five-round fights.

In recent dominating performances, DDP showcased relentless cardio by overwhelming former champion Sean Strickland with non-stop striking exchanges. Additionally, his high-paced victory over Israel Adesanya proved his ability to wrestle and remain dangerous on the ground. As such, there is no guarantee that DDP will become just another cakewalk for Chimaev at UFC 319.

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