Paulo Costa may be making his long-awaited comeback at UFC 297 on January 20th in Toronto, Canada, as indicated by a recent social media post by “Borrachinha”.
Costa has been out of action since August 2022 due to contract negotiations and a staph injury that led to his absence from UFC 294 in October. Despite his efforts to stay in contention for a fight against Khamzat Chimaev in Abu Dhabi, his significant elbow injury prevented his participation.
His recent social media post simply states the date without any further explanation.
He wrote, “January 20th,” accompanied by two fist emojis, on X (formerly Twitter).
This aligns with the schedule for UFC 297 in Toronto, Canada, featuring the headline bout between middleweight champion Sean Strickland and Drikas du Plessis, as well as a women’s bantamweight title fight between Raquel Pennington and Mayra Bueno Silva. With 14 matches already confirmed for this event, the potential addition of Paulo Costa would further enhance its star power.
However, the opponent for Costa remains uncertain. It is unlikely that he will face Khamzat Chimaev, considering Chimaev’s previous main event status and Costa’s current ineligibility to enter the United States. It remains to be seen if Canada will welcome him for this fight.
Nonetheless, there are numerous compelling matchups for Costa in the middleweight division. Fans are eagerly anticipating his return to the octagon, especially given the reported new contract with the UFC that will see him earn over $1 million per fight starting in March 2023. Therefore, his impending return is highly anticipated after an eight-month absence from the fight scene.
This prolonged hiatus has also resulted in unpaid earnings for Costa, underscoring the significance of his comeback at UFC 297.
