The Costa vs Vettori fight scheduled to headline UFC Vegas 41 may not be going ahead after all. Paulo Costa revealed at the UFC Vegas 41 media day that he won’t be making middleweight as he is far too heavy this close to weigh-in day.
“My weight right now is 96 kilos (211 pounds). What happened yesterday, [my manager] Wallid [Ismail] talked with some people with him, Ali [Abdelaziz], his manager I think, and it’s not on the schedule to make 185 [pounds] anymore. It’s another weight. I’m not exactly [sure] which weight yet.”
Paulo Costa Reveals He Won’t Make Middleweight for Vettori Fight
Costa claims that he wants to fight at catchweight, but if the fight goes ahead at catchweight it may not have the results for the middleweight division that either man wants. Both Costa and Vettori are fresh off the back of losses to reigning middleweight champion Israel Adesanya, and both will be wanting a quick return to the title conversation.
Costa, who is currently 26 pounds over the 185-pound weight limit for the division, claims that the fight can still go ahead if Marvin Vettori agrees to it.
“I think this fight will happen. It just will not happen if he don’t want to fight me. Maybe we can do a catchweight 195 [pounds] maybe but I think make this fight [205 pounds] could be more exciting to the fans.
More explosive fight cause I want to go bring the fight for him. Maybe he wants to bring the fight to me. I think with both guys heavy, this knockout can happen easily.”
A catchweight fight would surely favor Costa, who would enter the Octagon with a serious weight advantage. Weight divisions exist in the UFC for a reason. Although in the early days of MMA, there were no weight divisions, the advantage that increased size and strength gives to a fighter can have drastic consequences for their opponent.
“Make a little difference for me now, four or five pounds, six pounds. I just don’t care,” Costa said. “I’m more concentrated on my weight than on his weight. I don’t care if he makes 225 pounds or more. We need to find a catchweight to make. I don’t know exactly yet.”
Costa’s manager offered some more insight into the process. “We’re going to finalize the deal, how it’s going to work, the catchweight, but let me arrive there,” Ismail said on Wednesday. “But the most important now is [Costa] needs to give his best to show the world what he’s about. We cannot talk much, just the time of the fight. It’s going to be a catchweight, this is for sure.”
Do you think the fight should go ahead? Let us know in the comments.
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