Paulo Costa has asked the UFC to release him from his contract — and the promotion has refused.
“I'm looking for big fights. I'm looking for big names.”
The 35-year-old Brazilian, one of the most physically imposing light heavyweights of his generation, has not fought in five months. He says he wants bigger, more meaningful fights while he is still in the latter stages of his career, and he is frustrated that the biggest opportunities keep passing him by.
Costa is currently riding a two-fight winning streak, the kind of momentum that would normally earn a contender exactly the high-profile matchups he is asking for. Instead, he says he has been stuck waiting.
According to Costa, he has repeatedly asked to fight since May, floating potential bouts in June, July, and August — and was told to wait each time.
He also pushed for an interim light heavyweight title fight while champion Carlos Ulberg is sidelined with a knee injury expected to keep him out until 2027, a bold move that would have given him the marquee moment he craves. The UFC let the idea die.
"I'm looking for big fights. I'm looking for big names," Costa said.
Costa says he has now requested his release multiple times, most recently just days ago. The UFC's response has been consistent: he must fight at least one more bout before they will even consider letting him go.
The standoff highlights a familiar tension in the UFC's contract structure. Fighters in the back half of their careers want legacy-defining fights while their bodies still allow it; the promotion, holding the leverage of the contract, wants to extract every last contracted bout on its own timeline.
The question now is whether Costa's public pressure campaign forces the UFC's hand — or whether he ends up fighting out his contract on matchups he never wanted.
One thing is certain: at 35, with a two-fight win streak and one of the most marketable physiques in the sport, Paulo Costa believes his best years are being wasted. And he is done being quiet about it.
