Paulo Costa is one of the most controversial fighters in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). From suspension for illegal IV infusions to frequent disputes over weight and fight agreements, his career is no less than a rollercoaster.
Recently, the Brazilian fighter found himself surrounded by buzz following his hot-button interview with Ariel Helwani. In the interview, he talked about why he didn’t like Dana White earlier, and now the two have reconciled their relationship.
[Revealed] Why Paulo Costa Initially Clashed With Dana White?
Following Costa’s impressive early undefeated MMA record of 8-0 (1 KO, 6 TKO, 1 Submission), Costa made his grand entry in UFC at UFC Fight Night: Belfort vs. Gastelum, viciously beating Garreth in March 2017. Also, he won the Performance of the Night.
After his second UFC win against Oluwale Bamgbose, he was offered a new contract, but the parties did not find common ground on financial terms.
And yes, that was the very reason Costa was at odds with Dana White. While talking with The Ariel Helwani Show, he disclosed how he felt underappreciated by the organization’s CEO, White, and paid unfairly.
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He said, “I support Dana White right now. Back in those days, I wasn’t supporting him. Back in those days, we had some beef. I was a little bit sad and mad. My first six fights on the contract were horrible. I was getting very unfair pay. I talked very honestly and said, Guys, come on, this is unfair. This is not fair because of a bad decision in the past.”
“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 6 fights on the contract was horrible. I was getting very unfair pay. I talk very honestly and said, guys, come on, this is… pic.twitter.com/joQI3LDglc
— Ariel Helwani (@arielhelwani) July 14, 2025
As Costa said, Dana and the fighter are now on good terms.
He is scheduled to face Roman Kopulov in UFC 318: Holloway vs. Poirier 3 on July 19, 2025, at the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans, Louisiana.
[Update] Paulo Costa’s Tumultuous Journey Through the UFC: Highs and Lows
Costa was involved in the MMA scene from his childhood, taking Muay Thai at the age of nine. In his teens, he joined a jiu-jitsu gym with his brother. By twenty-one, he had already made his professional MMA debut.
Early in his MMA career, Costa extensively participated in Jungle Fight and Face to Face until he signed with UFC in 2017.
Paulo Costa UFC fight results
| Opponent | Date | Result | Event |
| Sean Strickland | 1st June 2024 | Loss | UFC 302 |
| Robert Whittaker | 17th February 2024 | Loss | UFC 298 |
| Luke Rockhold | 20th August 2022 | Win | UFC 278 |
| Marvin Vettori | 23rd October 2021 | Loss | UFC Fight Night: Costa vs. Vettori |
| Israel Adesanya | 26th September 2020 | Loss | UFC 253 |
| Yoel Romero | 17th August 2019 | Win | UFC 241 |
| Uriah Hall | 7th July 2018 | Win | UFC 226 |
| Johny Hendricks | 4th November 2017 | Win | UFC 217 |
| Oluwale Bamgbose | 3rd June 2017 | Win | UFC 212 |
| Garreth McLellan | 11th March 2017 | Win | UFC Fight Night: Belfort vs. Gastelum |
Pankaj Kapoor’s Take
It’s good to hear that Costa and Dana White are on good terms now, forgetting their past feud; both have come to a compromise.
Indeed, Paulo Costa is among the controversial fighters of the UFC. In my opinion, White has given him enough chances to build his reputation back from his suspension and other controversies.
About payment issues, it’s kinda normal in every high-stakes sports organization, but what matters most is that both parties are now moving forward professionally.
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