“I don’t know if it’s going to be much different” – Chael Sonnen reacts to Paulo Costa’s decision to stay at middleweight


“I don’t know if it’s going to be much different” – Chael Sonnen reacts to Paulo Costa’s decision to stay at middleweight

Paulo Costa

Paulo Costa has decided to continue fighting at the middleweight division though the last time out he couldn’t reduce his weight for his clash against Marvin Vettori last October and the fight was instead scheduled as a light heavyweight bout.

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Due to his inability to cut his weight down to the required 186 pounds, Costa infuriated Dana White who said that he wouldn’t be fighting at middleweight anymore. Costa claimed that he wasn’t able to meet the weight requirements due to a bicep injury but the UFC President was having none with his reasons.

He was in shape. It’s not like the guy showed up out of shape, or the guy has lost his mind and wasn’t training for this fight and just showed up and was overweight. He obviously trained. He can’t make ’85. It just goes to show you that he cannot make 185 pounds. We’re beefing with Costa right now over. Is there a person in this room who thinks he can come in the next fight and is confident he can come in and weigh 185 pounds? Exactly. Anybody? Raise your hand, please. Yeah, didn’t think so. So yeah, that’s what we’re going through right now with him.”

However, Costa’s manager Wallid Ismail told Sherdog in an interview that, “There is no doubt his next fight will take place in the middleweight division. We will fight whoever the UFC decides. I keep believing that ‘Borrachinha’ will be the champion.”

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Chael Sonnen had different views to the Brazilian’s decision to stick with the middleweight division has he opened up about his opinion on his YouTube channel ‘Beyond the Fight’ saying, “I don’t know that the road back to Izzy Adesanya or a match with Izzy Adesanya is going to be much different, but I do think [there’s a] opportunity at 205 pounds.”

Chael Sonnen says Paulo Costa would do better at the light heavyweight division

Paulo Costa(L), Chael Sonnen(R)
Paulo Costa(L), Chael Sonnen(R)

Chael Sonnen came back to his podcast ‘Beyond the Fight‘ to speak about Paulo Costa’s decision to stay at the middleweight division of the UFC.

He said that he sees a problem with Costa trying to cut down on his weight and that he would love to see ‘Borrachinha’ take on many exciting fights in the 185 division.

Nobody wants to fight Paulo Costa. He is a terminator for sure. Guys will fight him [but] nobody wants to fight. Sean [Strickland] said that he wants to fight and boom you you’ve got my attention. But I could play that game five, six, seven different ways.”

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However, Sonnen pointed out that there’s more opportunity for Costa at the 205-pound division.

There’s more parody for me at 205 pounds and I think there’s more opportunity for Paulo Costa. I don’t know that the road back to Izzy Adesanya or a match with Izzy Adesanya is going to be much different, but I do think [there’s a] opportunity at 205 pounds.”

Whether Paulo agrees with Chael Sonnen and most of the UFC’s opinion for him to tackle the light heavyweight division, it doesn’t seem to be making him change his mind at the moment as he continues to fight on for a rematch with the middleweight champion, Israel Adesanya.

Also Read: “Borrachinha will be the champion,” Paulo Costa to stay at 185-lb division says, manager

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