Paulo Costa praises coaches following victory at UFC 318

UFC middleweight Paulo Costa has praised his coaches in the wake of his win over Roman Kopylov at UFC 318 last weekend.

On Saturday night, Paulo Costa defeated Roman Kopylov to get himself back in the win column. It’s been a long time coming for a man who, as we know, has experienced his fair share of ups and downs in mixed martial arts. Alas, it seems as if he’s finally getting back on track, with his eyes firmly set on a showdown with Khamzat Chimaev.

RELATED: Pros react after Paulo Costa defeats Roman Kopylov at UFC 318

Of course, there’s more work to be done in order for him to earn such an opportunity, but Costa has definitely proven himself to be a fighter who can bounce back from adversity. He seemed calm, composed and solid during the bout with Kopylov and while it wasn’t a perfect performance, he certainly did enough to get his hand raised – and then some.

Ahead of whatever comes next, Costa took the time to praise the work of his coaches when talking to the media at the UFC 318 post-fight press conference.

Costa praises his coaches after UFC 318

“I had two losses to Whittaker and Strickland,” Costa said. “These two hurt me because I was there. I could perform better, but my game plan, my strategy was not good. I was bouncing and countering instead of going forward. The coach over here, these three coaches, these guys changed my mentality, my game plan.

“They said, ‘Paulo, you are the hunter. You are the bully. You need to go forward, pressure, put your hands and kicks, they are so strong, maybe the most strong in the whole division.’ So that was that and here I am.”

Quotes via MMA Fighting

What’s next for Costa? Let us know your thoughts, BJPENN Nation!