Paulo Costa vents over UFC booking limbo, says he has positioned himself for fights in multiple divisions

Paulo Costa says he is frustrated with the pace of UFC matchmaking and is left waiting for his next booking.

In a recent interview reported by Yahoo Sports, Costa framed his current situation as a disconnect between his willingness to fight and UFC’s decision to assign him to a bout. He told reporters that he has made himself available to compete in three different divisions, yet remains without a confirmed fight date or opponent.

Costa’s comments underscore a common tension in the UFC’s ecosystem: fighters may be able to train and be medically and contractually ready on short notice, while the promotion must still fit contenders into a rapidly changing schedule that is shaped by title priorities, stylistic matchups, and the availability of specific opponents.

For context, UFC matchmaking is not simply a matter of who wants to fight next. When the sport is clustered around title fights and eliminators, the promotion typically has to balance multiple “lanes” at once, including main events, co-headliners, and card depth. That makes it possible for a fighter who is eager to compete to remain on the sidelines longer than expected, even if he believes he is an obvious option.

Costa’s remarks also speak to how a fighter’s willingness to move between divisions can cut both ways. From one perspective, expressing flexibility can make a fighter more “bookable.” From another, weight-class movement can create additional scheduling friction, including the timing of opponent readiness and the championship picture inside each division.

Still, the core of Costa’s message is straightforward: he says he has tried to position himself broadly, but believes UFC has not acted quickly enough to secure him an assignment. The phrasing reported by Yahoo Sports is that he is “champing at the bit” to return to action, while feeling the company is slow-playing him.

Whether UFC will respond to that criticism with a near-term matchup remains the key question. The next step for Costa is not only getting an opponent named, but finding a fight that makes sense for the division he lands in and for the division’s wider stakes.

For UFC fans, Costa’s frustration is a reminder that the calendar can move faster than individual careers. When a fighter publicly presses for a booking, it can heighten attention around the contender pool and report that he is actively trying to force a decision. The immediate watch item is simply whether UFC confirms his next opponent and what division, if any, becomes the landing spot.