Dana White happy to be on the same page with Paulo Costa ahead of UFC 291: “It’s good to have him back”
UFC President Dana White is pleased that Paulo Costa will be returning to action.
Costa had been at odds with the UFC over his contract. At one point, “Borrachinha” teased making a move to the boxing world. Costa and the UFC ultimately came to terms on a new deal and the Brazilian bruiser’s team claims he’s now the highest paid fighter from Brazil.
RELATED: PAULO COSTA NOW THE HIGHEST PAID FIGHTER FROM BRAZIL WITH HIS NEW UFC CONTRACT
Dana White & Paulo Costa On The Same Page
During an interview with Ag Fight, White discussed Costa sticking around with the UFC, and he expressed his excitement over being on the same page with “Borrachinha” (via MMAJunkie.com).
“I think that every fighter we deal with is different in certain ways,” White said. “Some are easy, some are tougher, but that’s our job, that’s what we do. Our job is to get deals done, and we finally got him dialed in, and it will be fun to see him fight in Utah.
“His last fight with Rockhold was awesome. It was an incredible war. It’s one of those fights that if you were there live that night or watching on TV, it’s a fight you’ll never forget. So, he’s fun to watch. It’ll be good to have him back.”
Costa will return to action at UFC 291 on July 29. He’ll share the Octagon with Ikram Aliskerov inside the Delta Center in Salt Lake City, Utah. Many were surprised by the matchup given that Aliskerov is unranked. He’s considered to be a potentially tough out for Costa.
White addressed the criticism surrounding the matchmaking when speaking to reporters. The UFC boss said it isn’t known how good certain fighters can be until they’re in there with top 15 competition. He also said that ranked fighters don’t always face other combatants with a number next to their name.
