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Paulo Costa was originally scheduled to fight newcomer Ikram Aliscroft at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City, Utah at UFC 291. However, with less than two weeks left, the card now saw a major change as Costa was replaced by Roman Duldisi.
While Paulo Costa initially gave no reason for withdrawing, it now appears he has hinted at a new booking. @MMAPauli reported on Twitter that ‘Borrachinha’ has been booked for a heavyweight bout against Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 294 in Abu Dhabi in October. Responding to the tweet, Costa wrote:
Paulie is smart enough.
While Ikram Aliskirov is only one fight veteran in the UFC, the Russian is currently riding a six-fight winning streak. His only professional loss is due to a 2019 decision against Khamzat Chimaev, a ‘Burz’. He admits it was the hardest fight of his career.
If Paulo Costa does indeed include a booking against Chimaev, it would certainly be a smarter option for the Brazilian, given Aliskerov appears to be as dangerous as Boers without the leverage.
Borrachinha, meanwhile, comes after a bizarre decision win over Luke Rockhold in August 2022 that caused the two-fight to slide.
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