“Stay Very Quiet”- Dana White and Co. Accused of Breaking Paulo Costa Fight To Take On Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 294

Paulo Costa and Khamzat Chimaev are set to lock horns in the main event of UFC 294. However, there is more than what meets the eye. A former UFC veteran seems to think a lot is going on behind the scenes to sanction this fight. And not all of it is necessarily right.

The two fighters share some history. It all started in 2021 when Chimaev called out Costa after his UFC 267 triumph over Li Jingliang. Both have since gone back and forth on Twitter multiple times. The rivalry even went offline when the two exchanged some heated words during a gym encounter before UFC 279. All of this makes for a great recipe for a big fight, a great thing for UFC. But how far would the UFC go to make a hyped fight like this a reality? The fight is happening for real at UFC 294, but at what cost? Looks like Chael Sonnen has an answer.

Khamzat Chimaev vs. Paulo Costa – Chael Sonnen has some serious allegations to make

In one of his recent videos, former MMA fighter Chael Sonnen made serious accusations against the UFC. According to him, the promotion intentionally canceled Costa’s previously booked fight in order to materialize his bout against Chimaev. In this almost 14-minute-long video, the MMA analyst also made several other claims. But this one stands above the rest such as UFC canceling one bout to materialize as the other one is something unheard of.

A fact that even Chael mentioned in his video. In his own words: “It doesn’t matter if it’s a main event, an undercard, or somewhere in between. It doesn’t matter. I know fights that get broken up all the time because one of the guys is sick or he’s hurt, whatever their excuses are.

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“I don’t know if a time that the organization has stepped in and done it. If it’s happened, I don’t know of it. I could not cite it for you. I’ve never heard of it. That never happened to stay very quiet.”

For those unaware, Sonnen is talking about the UFC 291 fight between Paulo Costa and Ikram Aliskerov on the main card of UFC 291. The two men were booked for a clash in Salt Lake City, but just days before the event, Costa pulled out. At the last moment, Roman Dolidze reportedly stepped in on short notice to face the Russian kickboxer, replacing Costa on the card. However, the bout was ultimately canceled. It is interesting to note that Khamzat Chimaev is the only man to beat Aliskerov in his entire MMA career.

Is Khamzat Chimaev vs. Paulo Costa a no. 1 contender’s match?

According to many in the MMA community, the UFC 294 matchup between Khamzat Chimaev and Paulo Costa might be a number one contender match for the UFC’s 185-lb title. Moving up from welterweight, this fight would mark Chimaev’s comeback to middleweight. And who could be better to welcome ‘Borz’ than ‘Eraser’? The Brazilian has been out of action for a while, last seen against Luke Rockhold at UFC 278. And although Costa has been more active on Twitter recently than in the octagon, nobody can deny the sheer firepower he is capable of.

Among many people who believe this to be a no. 1 match, former UFC middleweight champion Michael Bisping is one of them. In a fashion similar to his former opponent, Chael Sonnen, Bisping recently shared this view on his YouTube channel. According to ‘Count,’ the winner of Costa vs. Chimaev might overtake Israel Adesanya in line for the title shot.

Adesanya, who recently lost his belt to Sean Strickland at UFC 293, is looking for a rematch. And Dana White seems to be fine with this demand. But this loss was Adesanya’s second title loss in his last three bouts, a scenario that is equally unheard of as UFC canceling a scheduled bout. This is why so many believe the possible winner of the upcoming fight between Costa and Chimaev might leapfrog ‘The Last Stylebender’ for a title shot.

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