Paulo Costa gets honest about rocky relationship with Dana White while recalling "very unfair pay" problem: "I was a little bit sad and mad"

Paulo Costa had his differences with Dana White regarding the pay structure. However, he recently indicated that their relationship is much better now.

The Brazilian will be hoping to get back on the winning side when he faces Roman Kopylov in the co-main event of UFC 318 this Saturday at the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans, Louisiana.

Ahead of his return, Costa made an appearance on The Ariel Helwani Show and discussed his equation with White. The former middleweight title challenger voiced his displeasure with the MMA organization's CEO over the contract situation during his early UFC days. 'The Eraser' mentioned that he was dissatisfied with his salary.

''I support Dana White right now. Back in the days I wasn't supporting him. Back in the days we had some beef. I was a little bit sad and mad. My first six fights on the contract was horrible. I was getting very unfair pay. I talk very honestly and said, guys, come on, this is unfair. This is not fair because just because a bad decision in the past."

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Costa’s five-fight undefeated run in the octagon earned him a shot against then-champion Israel Adesanya at UFC 253 in 2020. However, he lost in the second round via knockout, and things haven’t been the same since. Costa’s unsuccessful title bid was followed by losses to Marvin Vettori, Robert Whittaker, and Sean Strickland. Notably, in the last five years, ‘The Eraser’s’ only victory was against former champion Luke Rockhold at UFC 278.

Paulo Costa previews Roman Kopylov fight at UFC 318

In the aforementioned conversation with Ariel Helwani, Paulo Costa offered his thoughts on the upcoming clash with No.14-ranked Roman Kopylov at UFC 318.

Costa promised to put on a strong display and predicted his win, citing an early finish:

This is a very important [fight] for me. This is a great matchup. [Kopylov] is a striker and he’s southpaw. I know how to fight against southpaws. I know he’s dangerous. He has good kicks and a good straight left hand, but I’m very prepared for that... This fight is going to be short, not 15 minutes, no way. Maybe two rounds, maybe in the first round. I think this is going to be a good collision, two guys looking for a finish. I will be there to finish this fight since the very first minute.”

Check out Paulo Costa's comments below:

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About the author

Swagat is a dynamic MMA writer with a total experience of a little less than a year, which includes time in retail and sports journalism. He holds an MBA degree.

Swagat fell in love with the sport after watching the iconic grudge match between Jon Jones and Daniel Cormier at UFC 182 in early 2015. Nate Diaz holds a special place in his heart for the Stockton native’s entertaining fan-friendly style and ability to deliver exciting fights regardless of the opponent.

In terms of rule changes in MMA, Swagat advocates for making scores public after each round, adding transparency to judging decisions.

Swagat prioritizes accuracy and relevance while writing and conducts thorough research to ensure the content is fresh and reliable.

He enjoys playing football and painting during his free time.

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Edited by Swagat Kumar Jena