EXCLUSIVE | Jack Hermansson: Paulo Costa Will Never Make Middleweight Again
Jack Hermansson believes Paulo Costa will get another chance at middleweight, but he doubts the Brazilian KO artist will ever make the weight ever again.
‘Borrachinha’ caused a commotion when he came into his last fight week way overweight and revealed that he had no intention of making middleweight ahead of his bout with Marvin Vettori.
After lots of back-and-forth, Costa and Vettori ultimately fought at light-heavyweight in October, and it was ‘The Italian Dream’ who emerged victorious via unanimous decision.
Post-fight, UFC president Dana White revealed that Costa will be fighting at 205lbs moving forward.
“You don’t get to pick what weight you get to fight when this happens,” White said. “He’ll have to fight at 205 [pounds].”
Since then, ‘The Eraser’ has expressed his desire to remain at 185lbs, blaming his botched weight cut on a bicep injury.
Earlier this month, his manager claimed that his client will fight at middleweight next.
“They know that [Costa] was injured and that’s why he had problems with his weight,” Wallid Ismail told Sherdog. “There is no doubt his next fight will take place in the middleweight division. We will fight whoever the UFC decides. I keep believing that ‘Borrachinha’ will be the champion. He just has to train right. His biggest problem is that he trains too much. If he trains correctly, I have no doubt no one in that division can beat him.”
Jack Hermansson Says Paulo Costa Will Never Make Middleweight Again
During a recent interview with LowKickMMA, Costa’s middleweight rival Hermansson expressed his belief that Costa will get another shot at 185lbs, although he seems pretty convinced that the Brazilian is no longer capable of making the middleweight limit.
“I think that they (Costa) will be able to get another try at middleweight,” Hermansson said. “I don’t think he’s ever going to make middleweight again.
“I don’t really feel he belongs at middleweight,” Hermansson added. “I think his time in the weight class is over. He might get another try but I do not think he’s going to make the weight.”
Do you agree with Jack Hermansson? Is Paulo Costa no longer capable of making the middleweight limit?
