Khamzat Chimaev promises to make Paulo Costa cry in the cage

At UFC 294 this autumn, Khamzat Chimaev intends to make Paulo Costa cry.

A major news was made last week by UFC President Dana White: Chimaev and Costa will square off at UFC 294 in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, on October 21, 2023. At UFC 291 in Salt Lake City, Utah, the following week, Costa was scheduled to make his comeback against Ikram Aliskerov, but that 185-pound matchup didn't make much sense.

It has been rumoured for a while that "Borz" and "The Eraser" will square off, and this is the match the fanbase desired. The two Middleweights' animosity for one another has been well-documented; following a physical altercation at UFC Apex last year, they have been taunting one another online ever since.

Last night at UFC London, Chimaev, a special guest fighter who has been absent from the ring for the majority of the year, was seated in the front row.

During the fights, Chimaev caught up with TNT Sports backstage to somewhat preview his upcoming fight with Costa, vowing to make his opponent cry.

“I’m going to make that guy cry in the cage like I always do,” Chimaev said. “Smash somebody and make money, so I don’t know, I’m going to make that guy cry, go home to Brazil. Nobody likes him — that’s why all of the Brazilians support me. That guy is no Brazilian, so I’m going to go smash this guy and make him cry.”

The build-up to this fight will continue to get heated with a bit of cringe thrown in. Actually, it’s already started ...