Paulo Costa says the UFC needs Dana White

Paulo Costa believes the UFC is making mistakes without Dana White

Paulo Costa claims in an interview that the UFC would be lost without Dana White. He himself has only one fight left on his UFC contract and says he really misses White when it comes to matchmaking. He fought his last bout in April and actually wanted to return to the octagon relatively quickly afterward. However, the promotion informed him that they hadn’t yet made a decision about his next opponent, which is why everything has been delayed. Paulo Costa then said:

“Dana White is greatly missed. The UFC is lost. They’re making a lot of mistakes because of fear and a lack of timing. If I said, ‘OK, I don’t mind being tied down, being undervalued and getting paid less than I deserve,’ I’d probably be fighting for the interim title by now. But I think that would be a mistake. I know UFC champions who make half of what I make”

he said.

Paulo Costa is currently looking for a significant fight for his final bout under his current contract. There are a few fighters in his division who would fit his criteria. He himself says that Magomed Ankalaev and Navajo Stirling would be good options right now, but not Khalil Rountree Jr. or Jiří Procházka. He said himself that he wants to fight someone who is also coming off a win, not someone who has just suffered a loss. It remains to be seen who he’ll fight next, and above all, it’s exciting to see whether he’ll sign another contract afterward, or what his future will look like.

I think he’s somewhat right when it comes to the UFC. I believe we need more people like Dana who are willing to take risks. However, it’s naturally always dangerous for an employee to take on such a risk, because you’re personally held accountable for any losses. I’m curious to see how they’ll solve this problem.