Paulo Costa

Paulo Henrique Costa, a Brazilian mixed martial artist born on April 21, 1991, competes in the UFC Middleweight division, presently holding the No.7 ranking as of June 2024. He began his professional MMA career in February 2012 in Brazil, supported by his brother who convinced their mother to provide financial assistance for a year. Over the next five years, Costa amassed an 8-0 record, winning seven fights by knockout and one by submission.

In his UFC debut on March 11, 2017, at UFC Fight Night 106, Costa faced Garreth McLellan, securing a first-round TKO victory and earning his first Performance of the Night award. He continued his winning streak at UFC 212 on June 3, 2017, defeating Oluwale Bamgbose via TKO in the second round. He is currently gearing up to face Sean Strickland at UFC 302 on June 1, 2024.

Early Life and Career

Paulo Costa started his combat sports journey at age 9 when he started his Muay Thai training. He later added Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu to his arsenal and started training in the martial art at age 17

Costa transitioned to MMA in the early 2010s and made his professional debut in 2012 at MMA Total Combat: Santa Luzia against Téo Esteves. Costa dominated Esteves, and TKO'ed him in the first round. He followed it up by winning his next 2-fights in the Brazilian MMA circuit before signing with the UFC as a participant at The Ultimate Fighter 3: Brazil. After the show ended, Costa returned to the Brazilian circuit and won 2-fights at FTF before signing with Jungle Fight in 2015.

Paulo made his Jungle Fight debut at JF 84 against Bruno Assis in a one-sided battle that ended in 77 seconds with a Costa TKO victory. Costa got a title shot in his next fight for the promotion against Eduardo Ramon for the vacant JF Middleweight Championship. Costa outclassed Eduardo with his Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu to submit him in the first round to become the champion. He defended the title once at Jungle Fight 90 before leaving the promotion to join the UFC.

Paulo Costa Personal Life

Paulo Costa is romantically involved with Tamara Alves, whom he was introduced to by a family member in 2013. Despite not having children at the moment, their relationship has remained strong and enduring over the years.

Paulo Costa Girlfriend

Paulo Costa's girlfriend is Tamara Alves. The two of them have been in a relationship since 2013. Alves is the owner of a wellness products store named 'Mundo Fit,' which specializes in vitamin supplements such as whey protein and other micro supplements. The Mundo Fit Instagram app has garnered 10,000 followers. The business focuses on creating natural supplements and promoting healthy living for its customers.

Paulo Costa Kids

As of now, Paulo Costa does not have any children.

Paulo Costa Net Worth

As of February 2024, Paulo Costa's net worth is estimated to be around $1 million. His primary sources of income include earnings from fights, purses, bonuses, and brand endorsements. While some reports suggest his net worth may be between $2 million and $3 million, these figures cannot be confirmed.

Also Read: Paulo Costa Net Worth

Paulo Costa Endorsements

Paulo Costa's current endorsement deals or sponsorships are undisclosed. However, he has had sponsorships from Crypto.com and Reebok in the past.

Paulo Costa MMA Record

Paulo Costa holds a professional MMA record of 14 wins and 3 losses (14-3-0). His victories include 11 knockouts, 1 submission, and 2 decisions. Costa's only losses were against Israel Adesnaya, Marvin Vettori, and Robert Whittaker.

Paulo Costa UFC Career

Paulo Costa made his UFC debut against Garreth McLellan at UFC Fight Night: Belfort vs. Gastelum. He quickly defeated McLellan inside 90 seconds to earn a Performance of the Night bonus.

In his first UFC PPV bout, Paulo fought Oluwale Bamgbose at UFC 212. Costa put on a clinical martial arts performance to finish Bamgbose in the second round. He built on this momentum and won his next 3-fights against UFC veterans Johny Hendricks, Uriah Hall, and Yoel Romero to earn a title shot at the UFC Middleweight Championship against Israel Adesanya at UFC 253.

Adesanya outclassed Costa via his kickboxing arsenal and handed Paulo his first defeat in MMA via 2nd round TKO(punches and elbows). He returned to fight after a year against Marvin Vettori at UFC Fight Night: Costa vs. Vettori. Paulo struggled to make Middleweight and forced the bout to be changed to catchweight(190 lbs) and then Light Heavyweight. Costa put on a competitive performance but came up short against the resilient Vettori and lost via unanimous decision.

Costa was slated to fight former UFC Middleweight champion Luke Rockhold at UFC 277 on July 30, 2022. However, the bout was postponed to UFC 278 for undisclosed reasons. Costa emerged victorious in the fight, securing a unanimous decision win.

Paulo Costa lost to Robert Whittaker in his last fight at UFC 298 via a unanimous decision.

He is now scheduled to square off against former UFC Middleweight champion Sean Strickland on June 1, 2024 at UFC 302.

Paulo Costa's Most Popular Fights

Paulo Costa vs Marvin Vettori

Paulo Costa fought Marvin Vettori at UFC Fight Night: Costa. Costa remained relatively inactive in the first round and let Vettori take the initiative. He came back in the second round using his superior kickboxing ability to land combos and equalize the fight.

Costa was a back foot in round 3 as he let Vettori determine the pace of the round and land twice as many strikes on the Brazilian. The same story repeated in round 4 as Costa failed to match Vettori's work rate and striking prowess.

Paulo mounted a comeback in round 5 by investing more into the body kicks that damaged Vettori and forced him to be more cautious and defensive. This late fight resurgence wasn't enough for Costa to win the fight on the judge's scorecard, resulting in a unanimous decision loss.