Khamzat Chimaev: "He likes black men" - Paulo Costa exposes Khamzat Chimaev's alleged NSFW messages to his partner

The latest chapter in Paulo Costa and Khamzat Chimaev's heated rivalry has taken things to a deeply personal level. After Costa’s win over Roman Kopylov at UFC 318, the Brazilian once again called out Chimaev, claiming that he had sent disrespectful messages to his girlfriend.

Costa alleged that Chimaev insulted him in the DMs to his girlfriend Tamara Alves. He made crude references to his manhood and even claimed he preferred black men in an apparent attempt to provoke or belittle him. Costa said his partner responded with maturity and told Chimaev to keep family out of it.

Speaking in a recent appearance on The Ariel Helwani Show, Costa said:

“We were in Abu Dhabi one month before the fight. I was there to fight him. I was training. Everything normal. But he felt stressed. I think because he’s not confident... For some reason, I think, for lack of confidence, he said, I’m going to send a message for his woman. I will threaten her. I will try to express my frustration, my lack of confidence to her. This is a kind of coward action."

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He added:

"[In his text, he wrote], 'Your man is not a man enough. He likes men.' He sent a picture [of Israel Adesanya]. Said he likes black men. He’s not a man. You should look for a better man than him."

Check out Paulo Costa's comments below (10:30):

Paulo Costa explains why he’s Khamzat Chimaev’s nightmare matchup

Paulo Costa believes he’s one of the worst possible opponents for Khamzat Chimaev because he’s strong, never backs up, and has good takedown defense. Costa said he has strong hips, strong legs, and the ability to stuff Chimaev’s wrestling.

He compared his style to Chimaev's next opponent, Dricus du Plessis, saying both have the tools to break Chimaev. Costa also called Chimaev immature and emotional. Speaking in the aforementioned interview with Ariel Helwani, he said:

“I truly believe I'm one of the worst opponents for him because I'm strong. I never go back. I have strong hips, strong legs. I can defend takedowns very well. I'm going to make a hell of a fight for him. I think me and Dricus is a kind of perfect fight to beat him. We have the same style, same body shape... Chimaev is still very immature even on his acting. He acts like an immature guy and he fights like an immature guy."

About the author

Abhishek Ramadasan Nambiar is a journalist who covers MMA at Sportskeeda. As a long-time practitioner of various martial arts, seeing the fusion of different forms into a quest for the ultimate fighter felt both primal and profoundly technical. At Sportskeeda, Abhishek's primary goal is to offer a fresh and distinctive angle through his writing, aiming to provide readers with more than just the basics of MMA. Along with keeping them informed about the latest developments in the sport, he strives to offer valuable insights that enhance their understanding of MMA.

When not writing about MMA, Abhishek often spends time reviewing music or devouring Brian Evanson's and Blake Crouch's work. Sign up to receive news, regular updates, and exclusive coverage.

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Edited by Abhishek Nambiar