Dana White insists UFC has offered Costa fights as 'Borrachinha' demands release

Dana White has directly contradicted Paulo Costa’s claims of neglect, stating the former middleweight title challenger has repeatedly turned down fights offered by the UFC while demanding his release from the promotion.

Costa recently went public with his grievances, slamming UFC executive Hunter Campbell after he was reportedly offered a short-notice five-round bout as the final fight of his current contract. While Costa says he is willing to compete in a five-rounder, he wants adequate preparation time and compensation that reflects the demands of a 25-minute fight — conditions he claims have not been met.

White addressed the dispute following Week 7 of Dana White’s Contender Series, acknowledging Costa’s frustration but firmly rejecting the suggestion that the promotion has frozen him out.

“Oh, yeah. [Paulo is] frustrated, yeah,” White said. “He’s been offered fights and turned them down. We don’t just say, ‘f*ck Paulo Costa,’ and, ‘you’re not going to get a fight,’ and ‘no, we’re not going to pay you,’ and ‘no, we’re not going to do this.’ Guys get offered three fights a year regularly, even guys who aren’t fighting. Tom Aspinall’s eyes are messed up. He’s getting offered fights. You think Paulo Costa isn’t getting offered fights?”

Costa had previously lobbied for an interim light heavyweight title fight while champion Carlos Ulberg recovers from injury, but later claimed the UFC showed no interest in that matchup. More recently, former light heavyweight champion Magomed Ankalaev publicly called him out, adding another potential opponent to the mix.

The Brazilian has also taken to social media to clarify his contractual situation, stating that his remaining fight is priced for three rounds rather than five, and that he is seeking fair terms before agreeing to step up to a longer bout.

With Costa vocal about wanting out and White insisting the offers are there, the standoff shows little sign of resolution — leaving one of the promotion’s more colourful middleweights in limbo as his contract winds down.