Paulo Costa Warns Khamzat Chimaev of Light Heavyweight Move

Paulo Costa has never been shy with his words, but this time he has chosen his target carefully.

The Brazilian contender has reopened his simmering feud with Khamzat Chimaev, warning that a jump to light heavyweight could end in disaster for the Chechen star.

This is not the Costa of three years ago. Back then, he was reeling.

After storming to a title shot with an unbeaten record, Costa hit a wall against Israel Adesanya at UFC 253. His first professional loss was brutal, and the hangover lingered. Four defeats in five fights followed, the lone bright spot a hard-fought win over a retiring Luke Rockhold. The aura of inevitability around “Borrachinha” vanished. So did his rhythm. Unsure of how to fix it, he stepped away for a year.

The reset worked.

Costa returned with a sharper edge and a clearer sense of purpose. He outclassed Roman Kopylov, then announced himself as a genuine threat at 205 pounds with a ruthless head-kick knockout of previously unbeaten Azamat Murzakanov in his true light heavyweight debut. That April finish felt like a line in the sand: Costa was back, and he belonged in a new division.

He has not fought since, but he has not been idle. His focus has narrowed onto one name.

Khamzat Chimaev

With rumors swirling that Chimaev could move up to light heavyweight, Costa made it clear in an interview with Mr. Gamble that he sees opportunity for himself—and real danger for his rival.

“I think that would be great for me,” Costa said. “It would be wonderful for him? I don't think it would be very good, no.”

The jab was deliberate. The warning, too.

Costa drew a comparison that will sting in certain circles, likening Chimaev’s potential leap to Alex Pereira’s unsuccessful attempt to move up to heavyweight.

“I think for him it would be like Alex moving up to heavyweight, you know? I think the proportion is something similar, isn't it? The body type. I don't know. I think they're very light.”

In Costa’s eyes, Chimaev’s frame simply does not translate to the power and physicality of 205. The message is clear: at light heavyweight, Chimaev would not just be climbing a division—he would be walking into a trap, with Costa waiting.