With one fight remaining on his UFC contract, the Brazilian voiced his frustration in an interview with Sexto Round, saying White is “greatly missed” in the matchmaking process.
Costa criticizes UFC matchmaking with one fight remaining on his current contract
Costa said he was ready to compete again shortly after his April victory and reached out to the UFC in June about potential fights in July or August. According to the former title challenger, the promotion told him it had not yet made a decision. “Borrachinha” believes that the promotion is making mistakes and is failing to capitalize on key matchups.
“Dana White is greatly missed,” Costa said. “The UFC is lost. They’re making a lot of mistakes because of fear and a lack of timing. If I said, ‘OK, I don’t mind being tied down, being undervalued and getting paid less than I deserve,’ I’d probably be fighting for the interim title by now. But I think that would be a mistake. I know UFC champions who make half of what I make.”
When asked whether he had spoken with Eddie Hearn, Costa confirmed that he had.
“It was a good conversation and he sent me a proposal to become part of his management team,” Costa added.
The Brazilian is now seeking a meaningful matchup for the final fight of his current contract. He broke down the light heavyweight title mix, highlighting how he, former champ Magomed Ankalaev and unbeaten contender Navajo Stirling should be in the running for the rumored interim title bout, rather than Jiri Prochazka and Khalil Rountree.
“I’m coming off a win, Ankalaev is coming off a win and this new guy Navajo is also coming off a win; Jiri and Khalil are coming off losses, so let's see.”