Dana White might have a storm brewing in the UFC middleweight division! A fiery call-out has set the stage for what could be a heated rivalry between a rising Russian sensation and Paulo Costa. ‘The Eraser’, infamous for his cheeky online antics and relentless trolling, may have bitten off more than he can chew this time. Enter Ikram Aliskerov, the Russian middleweight for whom 2024 has been a rough year. With multiple fight cancellations and withdrawals, he finally stepped into the cage to face Robert Whittaker in June at the main event of UFC on ABC 6.

Originally, Whittaker was supposed to take on Khamzat Chimaev, but he had fallen ill during the build-up to the fight. However, it wasn’t Aliskerov’s night as he was finished by the former middleweight champion with a first-round KO. Now, he’s got his eyes set on settling another score before demanding the Costa fight from UFC CEO Dana White.

In a fiery post on X, Aliskerov held nothing back as he stated, “When UFC offered you a fight with me, you said that you don’t even know my name. Now you are 1-4 in your last 5 fights and you are posting stupid photoshop pics to attract attention.”

The ‘beef’ ignited due to Costa sharing AI-generated images of Aliskerov on his X account that ticked off the Russian fighter. This isn’t the first time Aliskerov and Costa have crossed paths—at least on paper. In 2023, the two were slated to fight at UFC 291. It was a chance for Aliskerov to leap into the top tier of the middleweight division. But Costa, who had just come off a grueling battle against Luke Rockhold, reportedly never agreed to the bout.

Now, Aliskerov’s frustration has boiled over as he continued by stating, “I have unfinished business on February 1st. And after that I am ready to ask @UFC for your head on a plate.” According to reports, Aliskerov has been linked to a bout against Andre Muniz, a re-booking of their originally scheduled clash from UFC on ESPN 58. That fight got canceled due to Muniz suffering from a foot fracture.

The February showdown with Andre Muniz is just the beginning as a victory here could make his demands for the Brazilian’s “head” impossible for UFC boss Dana White to ignore. Also, as indicated by Aliskerov in his post, Paulo Costa is on a 2-fight skid, losing at UFC 298 to Robert Whittaker, and to Sean Strickland at UFC 302. So, a fight against a contender like Aliskerov has the potential to spark the return of the Costa who walked through Yoel Romero’s artillery barrage back at UFC 241!

In fact, after his split decision loss to Sean Strickland, ‘The Eraser’ himself had come out and admitted that he made a promise to bring that same version of Costa back to the Octagon. And who better to do it against than a highly-touted Russian star on the rise?

Paulo Costa promised Dana White that he’d be bringing back “the old” version of him soon 

For Paulo Costa, the pressure is mounting. Once a fearsome force in the Octagon, Costa has struggled to regain his footing. After losing a split decision to Sean Strickland at UFC 302, the second decision loss for him in 2024, Costa admitted on The MMA Hour that his performances have been lacking.

‘The Eraser’ confessed, “I talked to UFC, Hunter [Campbell] and Dana [White], I promised them I’d bring back the old Paulo. That guy who moves forward, very aggressive, very dangerous all the time, throw punches and kicks, and this is my promise to myself and to them.”

As such, with both fighters at critical junctures in their careers, a clash feels inevitable. The Russian sensation is knocking on the door of the top contenders, and Costa, desperate to reclaim his dominance, may have no choice but to answer and defend his no. 11 spot in the rankings. Now, as tensions simmer and words escalate, this potential matchup carries the allure of a classic UFC grudge match. Will Costa rise to the occasion and deliver on his vow to reclaim his former glory? Or will Aliskerov, with his fiery determination, carve his name into the upper echelons of the division if Dana White obliges his demands? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!