Paulo Costa
Active 2017–present · rated in 4 editions · peak overall 86.0
Scouting report
Physical power, body kicks, and hooks in the pocket propelled Paulo "The Eraser" Costa to an undisputed title shot on an undefeated 13-0 run. Born in Belo Horizonte, Brazil, Costa delivered a Fight of the Night slugfest victory over Yoel Romero alongside knockouts of Uriah Hall and Johny Hendricks, his power reflected in a 93 Strength score and 88 Boxing.
Peak ratings
By edition
Costa tore through the division with power between 2018 and 2019, knocking out former champion Johny Hendricks at UFC 217, stopping Uriah Hall in round two at UFC 226 in Las Vegas, and defeating Yoel Romero in a three-round brawl at UFC 241 in Anaheim to earn a title shot. His body kicks, heavy hooks, and forward pressure are reflected in an 88 Boxing and 93 Strength.
In September 2020 at UFC 253 on Fight Island, Costa challenged Israel Adesanya for the middleweight title, suffering a second-round TKO defeat, before engaging Marvin Vettori in a 2021 five-round war in Las Vegas. His punching power, body strikes, and durable frame anchor his 88 Boxing and 93 Strength.
Costa defeated former champion Luke Rockhold in a wild brawl at UFC 278 in Salt Lake City in 2022, before engaging Robert Whittaker and Sean Strickland in decision losses in 2024, a three-round fight with Whittaker at UFC 298 in Anaheim and a five-round fight with Strickland at UFC 302 in Newark. His hooks, spinning kicks, and physical strength justify his 86 Boxing and 91 Strength.
Paulo Costa and the wide-shouldered power puncher
Paulo Costa grew up in Contagem, Brazil, and started Muay Thai at nine to learn discipline. He turned professional in 2012 and reached 8-0 with seven knockouts and one submission. He then entered The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil 3, where he was coached by Wanderlei Silva. In the big promotion he stopped Garreth McLellan, Oluwale Bamgbose, Johny Hendricks and Uriah Hall, and then beat Yoel Romero by decision in August 2019. That five-fight run earned him a title fight against Israel Adesanya.
Costa, rating by rating
Boxing. Rated 88. Four straight stoppages by TKO to open his run point to heavy hands.
Kickboxing. Very good. He nearly finished Robert Whittaker with a head kick at the end of round one in 2024, and he ended Azamat Murzakanov with a head kick in 2026.
Wrestling. Rated 80, level with his cardio and fight IQ. It is a working number rather than a strength.
BJJ. The lowest number on his card. He returned to jiu-jitsu a couple of years after quitting as a teenager, though he did win on The Ultimate Fighter by guillotine choke.
Strength. The top of the card at 93. He has fought at both middleweight and light heavyweight.
Durability. Strong. He took Romero's best over three rounds in 2019 and won the decision, though Adesanya stopped him in round two in 2020.
Cardio. Rated 80. He went the distance with Luke Rockhold, Whittaker and Sean Strickland.
Fight IQ. Rated 80. He pulled out of several bookings and arrived at the Vettori fight about 25 pounds over the middleweight limit.
Power is the reason to draft him: strength at 93
Strength is rated 93, the highest number on his card and among the highest in the middleweight pool. It shows in his results. His first four promotional wins all ended by knockout or TKO, including Hall in the second round in 2018. He is the kind of fighter who can end a round with one exchange.
Where he gets stuck: BJJ at 78
BJJ is his lowest rating at 78, though the gap to his other numbers is not huge. He also lost decisions to Vettori in 2021, Whittaker in 2024 and Strickland in 2024, which are the fights to study for how to slow him down. Each of those went the full distance.
Keep exploring
Closest middleweight profiles to Paulo Costa, measured by how near their peak attribute ratings sit across all eight categories.
- Jared Cannonierbest strength 91 · weakest bjj 74
- Darren Tillbest boxing 87 · weakest bjj 72
- Joe Pyferbest strength 88 · weakest cardio 76
- Gregory Rodriguesbest boxing 86 · weakest cardio 76
- Middleweight division guide: how the whole division rates and who to draft from it.
- Grappling vs striking in the draft: a guide that fits Paulo Costa's strongest attribute, Strength.
Draft Paulo Costa into your build
Paulo Costa enters the pool on any spin landing on middleweight between 2018 and present. Spin, draft eight attributes, then simulate 25 fights.
Ratings shown are my own estimates, made with AI assistance and informed by how Paulo Costa is regarded by the MMA community. They are unofficial and do not constitute an assessment of Paulo Costa's real-world abilities. How the ratings are made. See the disclaimer below. Ratings and write-ups by Haaris A. Last reviewed 2026-09-30; spot an error? Tell us. Read our editorial standards.