Paulo Costa responds to Bogdan Guskov call-out and takes swipe at Khamzat Chimaev

Photo by Ed Mulholland/Zuffa LLC

Bogdan Guskov’s plans for UFC 328 were disrupted after Jan Blachowicz suffered a meniscus injury, forcing the former champion out of their scheduled bout on 9 May. The cancellation left the Russian contender without an opponent.

In response, Guskov turned his attention to Paulo Costa, who recently climbed to No.7 in the light heavyweight rankings after a statement win over Azamat Murzakanov at UFC 327.

Now, the Brazilian has responded, addressing both Guskov’s challenge and the wider narrative around his rivalries.

Paulo Costa responds to Bogdan Guskov and references Khamzat Chimaev feud

Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC

Costa replied to Guskov on X, acknowledging the challenge while also addressing claims made by the Russian fighter. Guskov had suggested ‘The Eraser’ made controversial remarks about Russian athletes during his rise.

The Brazilian dismissed that idea directly in his response. He made it clear that his comments were not aimed at Russian fighters as a whole, but instead tied to a specific rivalry.

Costa wrote: “Good call, Bogdan. Nothing against Russian people. I respect them. My thing is more against the Chechens.”

That statement links directly to his long-standing feud with Khamzat Chimaev, the current UFC middleweight champion. The rivalry has developed over several years and remains one of the most intense in the division.

Costa has once accused ‘Borz’ of crossing personal lines by sending messages to his wife and agent Tamara Alves, which only deepened the animosity.

“I hate this guy. I want to fight him. I want to take everything he has,” the Brazilian fighter previously said about Chimaev (via Yahoo Sports).