Paulo Costa’s Challenge of Derek Brunson Fails to Gain Momentum

• Paulo Costa has not competed since a unanimous decision loss to Marvin Vettori last year. 
• Costa recently challenged Derek Brunson to an upcoming bout on social media.
• Paulo Costa’s challenge of finding an opponent has continued for several months. 

Former UFC middleweight title challenger Paulo Costa has failed to gain much momentum over the past couple of years. He has continued to call out various fighters, yet the UFC does not seem willing to book him into a fight. It now seems that Paulo Costa’s challenge of Derek Brunson has failed to gain any momentum.

Brunson is coming off a tough TKO loss to Jared Cannonier in his last bout. It seems that Costa will need to continue searching for someone willing to face him in the Octagon.

Here’s what you need to know about this situation.

Paulo Costa’s Challenge Finding an Opponent Continues

There was a time when Paulo Costa was considered one of the most dangerous fighters in the UFC. He began his career with the promotion of five-straight victories including four knockouts. In September of 2020, Costa was finally granted a title fight against the king at 185 pounds, Israel Adesanya.

Costa appeared confident in the lead-up to this bout. Inside the Octagon, however, he failed to find any success and ultimately lost via TKO in the second round. He was then booked into a middleweight bout against Marvin Vettori.

Paulo drew the ire of fans and the UFC after entering this bout massively over the 185-pound weight limit. Vettori kept his composure and won the fight via unanimous decision. Since that time, Costa has been on the sidelines, challenging various fighters through social media.

Paulo Costa’s challenge of finding a new opponent continues. This week, Derek Brunson responded to his callout, claiming Paulo’s recent weight blunder disqualifies him from fighting in the middleweight division. You can check out his Tweet below.

. @BorrachinhaMMA focus on your own weight class . You’re a heavyweight . I tried to fight you multiple times . Your disappeared until I got a fight . I’m not fighting soon, I’m working on my craft . I’m waiting on your 2nd heavyweight fight . Paulo Pasta pic.twitter.com/jrb9YdsXfs

— Derek Brunson (@DerekBrunson) March 31, 2022

“@BorrachinhaMMA focus on your own weight class . You’re a heavyweight . I tried to fight you multiple times . Your disappeared until I got a fight . I’m not fighting soon, I’m working on my craft . I’m waiting on your 2nd heavyweight fight . Paulo Pasta.”

It seems likely that the UFC wants him to move up in weight. Costa continues to assert he will continue fighting at middleweight. Stay tuned for more information on what will come next for Paulo Costa as the year goes on.

Odds on Adesanya vs. Cannonier are Available Online

Israel Adesanya has been nothing short of perfect through his run in the UFC’s middleweight division. Some will be quick to point out his loss at light-heavyweight against Jan Blachowicz. At 185 pounds, however, Israel is 11-0 with four knockouts.

Adesanya has already defeated many of the top contenders at middleweight twice. This has led many fans to wonder who he might face next. Jared Cannonier is coming off an incredible TKO victory over Derek Brunson earlier this year and all signs point to him fighting for the belt next.

Odds on Adesanya vs. Cannonnier are now being offered online through BetOnline. Adesanya, the champion, is coming into this bout as the -300 favorite. Jared Cannonier is a serious knockout threat, yet still comes into this bout as the +250 underdog.

Some still feel that a move back up to 205 pounds is a possibility for Israel Adesanya. Plenty of very intriguing opponents are available for him in the weight class. That includes the winner of next month’s title fight between Glover Teixeira and Jiri Prochazka.

The UFC will not be hosting an event this week. On April 8, the promotion returns with a stacked fight card headlined by two exciting title fights. Now is the perfect time to check out the odds for these upcoming championship bouts.

Breaking Down the New Odds on UFC 273 Title Fights

For the first weekend in quite some time, the UFC is taking a break. The promotion is not slated to hold any fight cards this weekend, instead gearing up for a stacked fight card next Saturday, April 8. It’s a very exciting card with a Pay-Per-View portion featuring six bouts.

The final two fights of this card are world title bouts. The main event takes place between Alexander Volkanovski and Chan Sung Jung fighting for the featherweight title. Aljamain Sterling and Petr Yan will be competing for the bantamweight belt in the co-main event.

BetOnline lists Volkanovski as the -800 favorite leading into this fight. Chan Sung Jung is listed as the +500 underdog. Alex has looked incredible as the champion, yet Chan Sung Jung is one of his most dangerous opponents to date.

Aljamain Sterling comes into his first title defense as the +350 underdog. Petr Yan enters as the -450 favorite. Petr Yan was dominating the first bout with Sterling last year before being disqualified for an illegal knee in the fourth round.

What do you think of Paulo Costa’s challenge finding an opponent? Does the fight against Derek Brunson make sense? Let us know in the comments section below!