Paulo Costa Eyes Double Champion Status
Paulo Costa is preparing to move up to light heavyweight with his camp stating the goal is to "become champion in both divisions". If successful, Costa would join the exclusive ranks of UFC double champions. Meanwhile, Joaquin Buckley criticized the welterweight division as being "on standstill" due to lack of meaningful matchmaking.
- Paulo Costa has competed at light heavyweight once before in the UFC, losing a unanimous decision to Marvin Vettori in October 2021. His professional record in the division is 0-1. - The current UFC Light Heavyweight Champion is Alex Pereira, who is himself a former middleweight champion and the first fighter in UFC history to hold titles in both of those specific divisions. - The list of UFC fighters who have become champions in two different weight classes includes Conor McGregor, Daniel Cormier, Amanda Nunes, Henry Cejudo, Randy Couture, B.J. Penn, and Georges St-Pierre. - Joaquin Buckley specifically called out the welterweight champion, Islam Makhachev, for his inactivity since winning the belt in November 2025. Buckley pointed to Makhachev participating in "wrestleball" events instead of scheduling a title defense. - Buckley, who has not fought since a loss to Kamaru Usman in June 2025, also named other welterweights like Ian Machado Garry and Carlos Prates as contributing to the division's stagnation. - The light heavyweight division that Costa is targeting is populated by top contenders such as former champion Jiří Procházka, Magomed Ankalaev, and the surging Carlos Ulberg.
