Paulo Costa moves on from Khamzat Chimaev matchup: 'I think he’s done'

Paulo Costa has withdrawn his interest in fighting Khamzat Chimaev following the latter's shocking upset loss to Sean Strickland at UFC 328 earlier this month, where Strickland captured the middleweight title. Costa had initially campaigned for a matchup against Chimaev after witnessing the Swedish fighter's defeat but has since reconsidered. Costa believes Chimaev will struggle to bounce back from such a significant setback and therefore no longer represents an appealing opponent. Instead, the Brazilian (16-4) is targeting action as soon as July or August and has indicated flexibility across weight classes—willing to compete at middleweight, light heavyweight, or heavyweight. Costa offered three alternative opponents to his fanbase: the newly crowned champion Sean Strickland, Josh Hokit, or Mike Perry. The shift in priorities reflects Costa's desire to maximize his own momentum while Chimaev enters a period of recovery and reassessment following his title loss.