Paulo Costa agrees to new four-fight UFC deal, wants Sean Strickland and Khamzat Chimaev in 2023

Paulo Costa isn’t going anywhere.

The UFC middleweight contender announced Wednesday in an interview with PVT that he has agreed to a new four-fight UFC deal.

Costa has complained for months about his pay, which he referred as “ridiculous” and an “unfair” purse. He said he realized that “only saying ‘yes’ [to the UFC] wasn’t working.”

Now managed by his girlfriend Tamara Alves, Costa said he has finally reached a number that convinced him to re-sign.

“I haven’t signed the contract yet but we have reached a deal with the UFC regarding the pay,” Costa said. “It wasn’t easy, there was a lot of hard work, and I have to highlight Tamara’s brilliant work here.”

Costa said he’s currently in talks with the UFC regarding his next bou. According to Costa, the UFC approached him with an offer to face Sean Strickland in May, or face Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 294, which takes place in Abu Dhabi on Oct. 21.

“I want that, too,” Costa said of facing both men back-to-back in 2023. “[The UFC] wants to make sure this Chimaev fight happen at all costs, but I want to make both happen. We’ll see.”

Costa is 14-2 as a professional and 6-2 since joining the UFC. He last fought in August 2022, defeating Luke Rockhold via unanimous decision to snap a two-fight losing skid that came against Marvin Vettori and Israel Adesanya.