UFC middleweight prospect Paulo Costa was involved in a brawl with Abu Dhabi crowd-members at UFC 294 on October 21. The video was posted to X and reshared by Costa on the same date:
"Don't mess with me [little] Chechen," Costa remarked in his caption. "I send you back home with smack straight in your big forehead. My right arm is working already.
"At least I got a Brazilian victory tonight, the only one."
The video shows an unnamed man jumping the dividing barrier and lashing out at Costa --- Khabib-style --- before being accosted by security. Costa appears to strike the man on the back of his head using his injured arm. Costa is dragged back and atleast two more men jump into the fray before being held back.
The reason behind the brawl hasn't been revealed, but Costa pulling out of the Chimaev fight may have had a part in it. Costa's caption and the brawl happening during the Chimaev vs. Usman bout could indicate that Costa rattled the Chechen fans as well.
At the the UFC 294 post-fight presser, UFC CEO Dana White addressed the brawl:
"With the group of people that we had here in the building tonight, it was like a powder keg - that thing was just ready to pop off," White exclaimed. "I've never seen something like that, somebody from the crowd going after a fighter. But we handled it, we contained it."
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