UFC 302 is right around the corner, and the main event for the evening features Dustin Poirier vs. Islam Makhachev. The fight could go either way, given the talent on display. However, one thing that many fans think could have an impact on the main event is the co-main event. Paulo Costa will take on Sean Strickland in a middleweight bout. As such, “The Paulo Costa Curse” could well be in play, according to some.
The Costa Curse is a term coined by UFC fans to explain the uncanny coincidence of any champion fighting on the same card as Paulo Costa to lose their title. So far, The Costa Curse has a 100% success rate, with every champion losing their title in the presence of Costa on the undercard. It will take a juggernaut to break through this curse, and who better to do so than the current pound-for-pound best fighter in the UFC?
Victims of the Paulo Costa Curse
It all began at UFC 212, Paulo Costa’s first PPV event. The main event of the night was Jose Aldo vs. Max Holloway. Naturally, Holloway, the interim featherweight champion, secured the undisputed featherweight championship from Aldo via a 3rd round TKO. Next was UFC 217, where Georges St-Pierre came out of retirement to defeat middleweight champion Michael Bisping. At UFC 226, the light heavyweight champion Daniel Cormier knocked out heavyweight champion Stipe Miocic to become a double champ.
Paulo Costa Curse (Via UFC)At UFC 241, DC fought Miocic in a rematch and lost his title after getting knocked out in the 4th round. However, the curse did not apply at UFC 253, as Costa himself headlined the event against Israel Adesanya. He was given his first defeat in the UFC via a second-round TKO. However, that is irrelevant, considering Costa is not part of the equation. It had only worked when the opponent in the championship bout did not feature Costa, or in simpler terms, Costa should not face the champion.
As such, Kamaru Usman at UFC 278 and Alexander Volkanovski at UFC 298 were the last two victims of the Costa Curse. Now, Costa will be on the undercard for UFC 302. Fortunately, Islam Makhachev will likely beat the curse by defeating Poirier.
Islam Makhachev will overturn the Paulo Costa Curse with Khabib Nurmagomedov’s help
Islam Makhachev is fortunate to have a mentor like Khabib Nurmagomedov. The two have known each other since childhood. They both trained under the legendary Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov. Now, after the great Dagestani coach’s passing, Khabib took it upon himself to continue training Makhachev. Interestingly, Khabib has also fought and beat Poirier previously. As such, his experience will be extremely valuable.
Islam Makhachev and Khabib Nurmagomedov’ (Image via IMAGO)However, ‘The Eagle’ was not octagon side for Makhachev’s last few bouts. Fortunately, for UFC 302, the undefeated Dagestani has made his return. Moreover, he has a game plan to thwart the risk posed by ‘The Diamond’. ‘The Eagle’ predicts that Makhachev could finish Poirier in the 3rd round, given that he follows the intricate plan laid out in front of him.
Therefore, it looks like the Paulo Costa Curse has seen its last days. Makhachev has even looked past this fight and is already aiming for double-champ status. He has dismissed fighters such as Arman Tsarukyan in his division and aims to take on Leon Edwards after the Poirier fight. A win over Edwards will allow him to surpass his mentor in terms of glory. No one would be more delighted if that happened than Khabib himself.
