Paulo Costa Accepts Electric Fight With ‘One-Eyed Pirate’ Sharaputdin Magomedov

Because of this, most of Magomedov’s UFC fights have been held in Middle Eastern regions, including UFC Qatar. As a result, Costa, recognized for humorous trash talk, stirred reactions by joking about an eye poke, specifically referencing Magomedov’s impaired vision.

Magomedov joined the UFC in 2023 and, since then, secured five wins and one loss, including two spectacular knockout finishes. Magomedov hails from Dagestan, the same region that produced former UFC pound-for-pound king Islam Makhachev. 

Magomedov sharpened his striking skills extensively, mastering Muay Thai techniques to complement his already formidable fighting arsenal. Currently unranked, ‘Shara Bullet’ could leap dramatically into UFC middleweight rankings with a victory against Costa at UFC Qatar.

Paulo Costa plans to beat three Russians in a row

At UFC 319, a new middleweight champion emerged when Khamzat Chimaev defeated Dricus Du Plessis in a highly anticipated championship clash. The dominant showdown saw ‘Borz’ utilize relentless wrestling pressure, effectively controlling DDP on the ground for a grueling twenty-one minutes.

Following his victory, Chimaev declared readiness to fight anyone, prompting Paulo Costa to step in, seizing that championship opportunity. Costa and Chimaev’s rivalry dates back to UFC PI in 2022, escalating with social media jabs, interviews, and verbal exchanges. Recently, Costa mocked Chimaev’s alleged boring strategy against Du Plessis, claiming he could easily outclass the Russian in any scenario. 

His last win came against a Russian opponent, and with Chimaev also being Russian, he strategically used this to provoke reactions. After agreeing to face Sharaputdin Magomedov, the Brazilian made a sly, provocative remark, continuing the psychological warfare against the Dagestani fighter.

It’s gonna be the second Russian in a row to been beaten . The 3 you guys who’s next the cupcake boring balls sniffer.

Paulo Costa via X

Despite Costa aiming for a 185lbs title shot next, the path appears complicated for various reasons. Former UFC middleweight champion Sean Strickland publicly called out Chimaev, insisting only he possessed the skill set to counter Chimaev’s wrestling. This Saturday at UFC Paris, top middleweight contenders Caio Barraho and Nassourdine Imavov face each other in a pivotal bout. 

Simultaneously, Anthony Hernandez will fight Renier de Ridder at UFC Vancouver, adding more significance to the four-man race. According to UFC CEO Dana White , these two fights essentially determine the next middleweight title contender, intensifying the stakes for all involved fighters. It would be interesting to see how long Costa will have to wait and fight for his next title shot.