Paulo Costa's UFC 302 campaign ended in a disappointing split decision loss to Sean Strickland, but a lighter moment from pre-fight festivities has captured the internet's attention. In a now-viral video, Costa received a rather unexpected lesson on twerking from women's bantamweight contender Ailin Perez.
Perez, known for her celebrations inside the octagon, couldn't resist sharing her moves with Costa. The video, featuring a surprisingly enthusiastic Costa attempting to twerk alongside Perez, has sent the MMA world into a frenzy.
Fighters and personalities wasted no time reacting to the post.
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Veteran fighter Mike Perry offered some playful advice:
"Don't let it distract you, bro! Focus on your mission!"
Women’s flyweight contender Tracy Cortez tagged the Brazilian’s manager and girlfriend Tamara Alves and wrote:
"😂😂😂😂😂 @tamara_alves "come on Paulo, come on! " You're always supporting your man 👏🏽🕺😂"
Check out some of the reactions below:

Paulo Costa vows brutal return after lackluster performance at UFC 302
known for his aggressive fighting style, Paulo Costa acknowledged his underwhelming performance at UFC 302 in a social media video. Costa lost a split decision to Sean Strickland in a fight largely devoid of action, extending his losing record to 4-1 in his last five outings.
Frustrated with his recent performances, Costa vowed to return to his knockout artist roots. Before his title shot against Israel Adesanya in 2020, Costa captivated audiences with a ferocious style, winning four of his first five UFC fights by knockout.
However, after the knockout loss to Adesanya, Costa's approach appears to have shifted, resulting in three more losses - none particularly exciting for fans.
Vowing a change, Costa said in the video:
"I have the power, so I need to deliver that, and I will do that. I won’t give a f***. F*** points or conserving energy or f*** anything about that; I will come to take heads off."
He added:
"And this is who I am, this is the kind of fighter I am, and the fighter who people expect that I perform. So I will do that. F*** points, I have enough of this. Even the first round that I was 100 per cent sure that I won, some people thought I lost. F*** them. I will come to take heads off. That’s it, who I am."[H/t: Bloody Elbow]
Check out Paulo Costa's clip below: