“I owe everything to him” Paulo Costa credits Coach Kelson Pinto for his amazing career transformation
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(Left)Coach Pinto, (Right ) Costa
Paulo Costa is not known to be one for shedding tears. The fighter has held up a tough man persona very well inside the cage and out of it, even if the results were not always in his favour. However recently Costa broke in a touching moment that gave a rare look into the water vulnerable side of the Brazilian.
Costa until the start of the pandemic was seen as a promising up and comer, who with a few tweaks to his arsenal could even stand toe to toe with the current champion. All that changed when Costa lost to Izzy in a humiliating fashion at Abu Dhabi. He had a chance to bounce back against Marvin Vettori, which he blundered in spectacular fashion.
While the fight itself was very entertaining and an even match more often than not, Costa’s behaviour leading up to that fight, including his refusal to cut weight and rumours that he had barely trained for the fight, gained him significant criticism. Even his fellow countrymen started to turn on him as they viewed the once promising middleweight as nothing more than a diva.
Paulo Costa thanks coach Kelson Pinto for his newfound love of MMA
Costa seems to have changed a lot of things this time around as he looks in the best shape he ever has. Promising that he won’t have any weight issues this time around, Costa gave all the credit to one man, his boxing coach, Kelson Pinto.
Costa got quite emotional talking about the man as Bret Okamoto asked for who he exactly was. “I found a lot of good people (to be around me) and I deserve to credit all of it to Kelson Pinto, that guy is amazing”
Costa accredited the man for making major changes in his lifestyle that has eventually led to Costa getting back on track with regard to his MMA career. When asked again by Okamoto, Costa would reveal that Pinto was a former boxer who had face Miguel Cotta twice in his career, winning as an amateur and losing to Cotto as a pro.
When asked further about what Pinto had done for Costa, he simply replied, “He made a lot of difference in my life” before he broke down into tears. Okamoto would further the line of questioning but would opt to give a visibly emotional Costa as break.
Promising to talk about the Pinto after he wins the fight, Costa leaves that subject for a better time, as he wipes off his tears.
How do you think the new people around Costa and his training will materialize in his bout against Rockhold? Let us know!
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Jerin Mathew
(713 Articles Published)