Dana White Rips Paulo Costa for Turning Down Fights as Contract Standoff Heats Up

The cold war between Paulo Costa and the UFC just got louder. Dana White fired back at the Brazilian light heavyweight on Tuesday, dismissing Costa's claims that the promotion is freezing him out.

"He's been offered fights and turned them down," White told reporters. "We don't just say, 'f*ck Paulo Costa,' and, 'you're not going to get a fight.'"

Costa, 35, has one bout remaining on his UFC contract and says his deal compensates him for a three-round fight, not five. He publicly laid out three options for UFC executive Hunter Campbell: honor the original three-round agreement at his current purse, properly compensate him for a five-round bout with adequate preparation time, or release him from the promotion entirely.

"I'm asking for the 3-round fight that was already agreed on contract," Costa wrote on social media. He previously lobbied for an interim light heavyweight title shot during champion Carlos Ulberg's injury recovery, a request the UFC rejected.

White offered no specifics about which fights Costa allegedly turned down, naming no opponents, dates, or weight classes. When pressed on Costa's frustration, the UFC boss responded with characteristic bluntness: "What the f- does that even mean?"

The standoff has drawn interest from other fighters. Magomed Ankalaev recently called out Costa, though it remains unclear whether that matchup was among the offers on the table. For now, Costa sits idle with one fight left on his deal and zero willingness to budge on his terms.