Paulo Costa had a flying start to his stint in the UFC. Even though he’s had more losses since the turn of this decade, he’s beaten some serious middleweight contenders ever since debuting in 2017. But did you know that the 33-year-old may not have made it without his brother, Carlos Costa? Today, we will be taking a plunge into the details about ‘The Eraser’s sibling.
Paulo Costa’s brother has always backed him through thick and thin. There are multiple pictures on his social media handles of Carlos. However, not many are acquainted with the fact that ‘The Eraser’s brother was also an MMA competitor.
Meet Paulo Costa’s elder brother Carlos Costa: Is he an MMA fighter?
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Yes, much like Paulo Costa, Carlos has also been a MMA fighter and competed during the early 2010s. And you know what? It turns out that he’s undefeated, but he has fought only a couple of occasions. Carlos Costa mostly competed in the regional scene in Brazil where he earned both of his wins via finishes. While one victory came via submission, the other, as you might have guessed, came via a technical knockout.
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A complete fighter from start to finish, Carlos Costa could have had a handsome career in MMA, but that was not a dream he had for himself. Instead, he wanted his little brother Paulo to pursue and make a name for himself in the sport that is fast growing to become the best version of combat sports due to its multi-dimensional aspect. Carlos literally put his blood, sweat, and tears to help his brother train.
Carlos Costa helped his younger brother enter MMA
Paulo Costa was heavily leaning towards being a soccer player, which is nothing new for Brazilians. There is no country that is as synonymous with the sport as the largest South American nation. But then he switched to martial arts and his brother was at the forefront of it all. Just when the UFC star decided to take another turn toward bodybuilding, Carlos Costa convinced him to revert and start putting his mind and heart into martial arts. Soon, he started actively participating in competitive tournaments.
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Paulo Costa has always been a constant admirer of his big brother. Back in 2020, when he was on a hot streak, undefeated in Dana White’s promotion, the Brazilian star claimed to be in a very pleased position with his team, which also includes Carlos Costa, and talked about how good his brother is in the jiu-jitsu department, calling him a “monster” in that martial arts discipline. In another interesting fact, Paulo also got his nickname, ‘Borrachinha’ from Carlos.
Paulo Costa got the ‘Borrachinha’ nickname from his brother
Carlos Costa’s nickname is a reference to his ability to bend his body, or, if we talk in simple terms, his elasticity. The moniker he holds is ‘Borracha’, which means “Rubber” in Portuguese, the official Brazilian language. In a similar fashion, he gave his brother Paulo Costa the nickname ‘Borrachinha’. If we take a look at the nickname, we will find that it bears a resemblance to the UFC star’s brother’s nickname. That’s because the two names are connected.
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‘Borrachinha’ translates to “little rubber man” in English. But for Paulo Costa, the English version sounded odd, so what did he do? He decided to adopt the nickname ‘The Eraser’ in English. Since then, his nickname has become a well-known aspect of the 33-year-old among his and the UFC fans.
UFC fans may get to see Carlos corner his brother Paulo Costa on June 1 at UFC 302. Will his brother’s support help ‘Borrachinha’ win against Sean Strickland? Share with us your prediction for the fight.