Paulo Costa says fight with Marvin Vettori will happen if the Italian doesn't "s**t his backward pants", Vettori retorts saying '195 contract signed'

Paulo Costa (left) and Marvin Vettori (right) [Photo via @borrachinhamma & @btsportufc on IG]
Paulo Costa (left) and Marvin Vettori (right) [Photo via @borrachinhamma & @btsportufc on IG]

Paulo Costa is convinced the onus lies on Marvin Vettori to make sure their Saturday night bout pushes through as scheduled.

Vettori, of course, has a valid reason to be hesitant about agreeing to fight. The main event bout was jeopardized after Costa revealed that he sits at 211 pounds two days before the weigh-ins. But according to the Brazilian, the ball is in Vettori's court. In an interview with TMZ Sports, Costa said:

"The UFC suggested to fight on this catchweight and I'm ready to make that weight. Just wait for him. I hope this fight happens. If Marvin doesn't s**t his backward pants... What I'm hearing is that he don't know what to make of the weight."

Check out Paulo Costa's interview with TMZ Sports:

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Costa's comments are in reference to Vettori's wardrobe blooper ahead of UFC 263. The Italian fighter was turned into the butt of jokes after pre-fight photos of him wearing his fight gear backwards went viral.

Meanwhile, the UFC reportedly changed the scheduled middleweight bout to a 195-pound catchweight contest – a measure put in place to lessen Costa's weight-cutting burden. Both contestants verbally agreed to the 195-pound catchweight bout during their joint interview with ESPN's Brett Okamoto.

Watch Marvin Vettori and Paulo Costa verbally agree on a catchweight bout:

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Paulo Costa vs. Marvin Vettori moved to light heavyweight

There has been another development in the Paulo Costa-Marvin Vettori saga. Two days before fight night, Kevin Iole of Yahoo! Sports reported that UFC matchmaker Hunter Campbell confirmed the bout is now set at light heavyweight (205 pounds).

Iole also reported that Costa's blunder will only cost him the regular 20% of his fight purse. That's the standard penalty for fighters who miss weight. The Brazilian never officially missed weight as the contest was changed before the official weigh-ins. Nonetheless, the bout was only jeopardized due to his weight mismanagement.

Both Costa and Vettori are seeking redemption after failed title bids against divisional monarch Israel Adesanya. Costa hasn't seen action since losing to Adesanya last September. Meanwhile, Vettori also fell short against 'The Last Stylebender' in the main event of UFC 263 in June.

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Edited by Utathya Ghosh