UFC 302 co-main event left a bitter taste in people’s mouths. The fight did not live up to expectations, and fans have not moved past it. However, Sean Strickland‘s teammate Chris Curtis has some thoughts on his new opponent. He is already gunning for a violent matchup with Paulo Costa.
Curtis threw his name into the metaphorical hat to face the Brazilian brawler next. In a respectful callout on social media, Curtis stated he would love the opportunity to share the octagon with Paulo Costa. He understood Costa’s frustration to fight someone like Sean Strickland, whose defense is impregnable.
Anybody who has sparred Strickland knows he is a weird style to deal with. @BorrachinhaMMA no shame man, it happens. If you wanna someone in the middle and swing til someone goes down, I’m cleared soon and looking to fight in september. Would be an honour.@Mickmaynard2
Chris Curtis via X
Curtis welcomed the challenge of potentially meeting the Brazilian in the middle to slug it out. A slugfest against the durable “Action Man” could be the perfect rebound bout for Costa. He had recently announced his return to his ‘old ways’ of violence in the octagon.
Costa needs to return to the win column quickly and would likely benefit from not having a stylistic disadvantage. His last two fights against Strickland and Robert Whittaker did not go in his favor. The technical striking and pressure of Strickland overwhelmed Costa. On the other hand, Whittaker outpointed Costa with better volume.
Anybody who has sparred Strickland knows he is a weird style to deal with. @BorrachinhaMMA no shame man, it happens. If you wanna someone in the middle and swing til someone goes down, I’m cleared soon and looking to fight in september. Would be an honour.@Mickmaynard2
— Chris Curtis The Action Man (@Actionman513) June 3, 2024
Curtis is coming off a split-decision loss to Brendan Allen this April. Whether the #8 ranked Costa would agree to fight down the line against #15 ranked Curtis remains to be seen. Nevertheless, Costa will likely need to fight down in the rankings to regain his confidence. As such, Costa vs. Curtis seems like a possibility in the coming months.
Chris Curtis is ready for Paulo Costa in September
Chris Curtis is ready to indulge Paulo Costa‘s thirst for chaos and brutality inside the octagon. Strickland’s teammate has officially answered the Brazilian’s ominous battle cry. This came after Costa’s declaration that his “bloodlust” and “violence” would soon resurface in the octagon.
Chris Curtis reveals timeline for potential Paulo Costa fight (via Sports Illustrated)Costa took to X and vowed to ditch his recent tactical approaches in favor of unhinged violence moving forward. ‘Borrachinha’ revealed that he had learned his lesson and would not take this approach again. Curtis replied to this tweet and wanted to know when the Brazilian slugger would be ready.
Awesome, so when are you looking to Dance? I’m free come September.
Chris Curtis via X
Costa’s early fights in the UFC ended in knockouts and TKOs. The change in approach from brawling to tactical fighting has not helped him in any way. Changing his approach and bringing the chaos could put him into the winning column once again.
