"He sent a message for my girl" - Paulo Costa explains loathing Khamzat Chimaev while making bold callout vow 

Paulo Costa is itching for a chance to get his hands on Khamzat Chimaev. While the pair were originally scheduled to fight at UFC 294, 'Borrachinha' had to pull out of the contest due to an injury.

However, their rivalry has only intensified since then. During a recent interview with Ariel Helwani, the former middleweight title challenger was asked who he'd like to face if he were to get a spot on President Donald Trump's UFC White House card. Costa quickly took aim at the Chechen-born UAE national, saying:

"Chimaev [would be my dream fight at the White House]. Chimaev, yeah, yeah. This son of a b***h. I want to fight this guy."

While Costa is unsure whether the wrestling maestro can get the win over reigning middleweight champion Dricus du Plessis at UFC 319, regardless of the outcome, he is eager to lock in a fight with his bitter rival.

Interestingly, however, 'Borrachinha's' overwhelming animosity towards his fellow middleweight stems from an alleged DM in which 'Borz' threatened his girlfriend. Costa said:

"He sent a message for my girl, Tamara [Alves]. He acted like a woman. He tricked her, he said some bad s**t. He said something like, 'I'm going to beat your husband and I'm going to do bad things,' this, that, but he sent [the message to] her, not me."

Check out Paulo Costa's comments below:

Costa, who is set to take on Roman Kopylov at UFC 318, is currently on a two-fight skid. During the interview, he vowed to call out Chimaev if he secures a win this weekend.

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When Khamzat Chimaev called Paulo Costa "not a real fighter"

When Paulo Costa was replaced on short notice by Kamaru Usman at UFC 294, many were left wondering if Khamzat Chimaev was ultimately handed an easier match-up, now that he no longer had to fight a natural middleweight. Suffice it to say, Chimaev didn't see it that way.

During an appearance on the FULL SEND podcast, the 31-year-old deemed 'The Nigerian Nightmare' a better fighter, all the while disparaging Costa's MMA prowess:

"I think Usman is a much better fighter and much [more] skilled and a different fighter who has been the champ. Paulo Costa is not that kind of guy. He just pushes one round and he's gassed out, man. He is not like [a] real fighter."

Check out Khamzat Chimaev's comments below (1:56):