Joe Rogan was very impressed by Paulo Costa’s move up to light heavyweight.
Earlier this month, “Borrachinha” officially moved up to 205 pounds, taking on Azamat Murzakanov in the co-main event of UFC 327, and delivering his best performance in a long time. Costa absorbed heavy shots from the power-punching Murzakanov before wearing him down and stopping the highly-ranked light heavyweight in the third round, his first finish since 2018. And Joe Rogan, who was sitting cageside and calling the event, could not have been more impressed.
“He looked f*cking phenomenal!” Rogan said on his podcast. “If I was in his corner, I would say, ‘Dude, never go back to middleweight. You are a f*cking light heavyweight champion.’ He’s a light heavyweight champion!
“And while this guy, while Carlos Ulberg is going to be out for a year, because he’s going to have to get ACL reconstruction, Paulo Costa could be the interim light heavyweight champion. No doubt. I really think he could pull that off. At light heavyweight, he’s f*cking terrifying. He looks like the Paulo Costa of old, when he was destroying people on his way up through the ranks.”
The performance was a return to form for Costa, who rose to prominence as an undefeated fighter who won his first five fights in the UFC. Costa then got derailed when he challenged Israel Adesanya for the middleweight title in 2020, losing by second-round stoppage. That led to a series of losses, withdrawals, and otherwise uninspiring outings from Costa, but after UFC 327, Rogan firmly believes Borrachinha is the best he’s ever been.
“I think Paulo Costa against Azamat was the best Paulo Costa I’ve seen in a long time,” Rogan said. “I mean, he looked better because he looked physically stronger. Being at light heavyweight didn’t at all look like a stretch. In fact, it looked like a better place for him.
“When I was listening to the sound of his punches and his kicks, it was even harder than before. He didn’t look fat at all. He looked like a perfect light heavyweight. I think he’s probably, at this stage of his life — because I think Paulo’s like 34 now — it would be way better for him to compete at light heavyweight. And there’s not a lot of people waiting in line. …
“When you look at Paulo Costa’s performances, and then you look at this last one, you’re like, that might be the best Paulo Costa of all-time. He looked f*cking phenomenal, and he ate some big shots from Azamat and didn’t even flinch. Didn’t even flinch!”
Costa does appear to be in a good position right now. As Rogan mentioned, newly crowned UFC light heavyweight champion Carlos Ulberg just had knee surgery and will likely be on the sidelines for a year. That could open up an opportunity at 205 pounds, and if Rogan were running the show, he knows exactly how he’d book things.
“And then Paulo Costa, interim champ,” Rogan said. “If I was the f*cking captain of the ship, that’s what I would do. ‘Hey Paulo, you’re a f*cking star.’ Maybe [Magomed] Ankalaev? I know that [Alex] Pereira just knocked him out, but he deserves to be in it.”
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