Khamzat Chimaev vs. Paulo Costa Booked for UFC 294 in October

Khamzat Chimaev and Paulo Costa can finally squash their beef in Abu Dhabi.

Mathew Riddle | Jul 20, 2023

Khamzat Chimaev vs. Paulo Costa Booked for UFC 294 in October /

Fueled by bad blood, Khamzat "Borz" Chimaev and Paulo "Borrachinha" Costa have officially been booked for UFC 294 in Abu Dhabi, October 21. The UFC announced the matchup alongside two others on Instagram on July 20.

Headlining the blockbuster card is the much-anticipated matchup between Islam Makhachev and Charles Oliveira. Costa's former-UFC 291 opponent Ikram Aliskerov has been rebooked to face Nassourdine Imavov.

This is unfortunate for Aliskerov, who may have been eligible for PPV points had he fought Costa on the main card of UFC 291, now he may be relegated to the UFC 294 preliminary fights.

"It's official. I told you guys, I never lied," Costa remarked on Instagram. "Abu Dhabi I'm bringing the chaos to you all." In another post, Costa released a trailer for his UFC 294 showdown, "I'm on it! Total chaos. October 21st 2023 at Abu Dhabi. You will find out!"

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Paulo Costa (@borrachinhamma)

The two middleweights will finally have an opportunity to settle their beef. Costa and Chimaev have been going back and forth for the better part of a year. They first had an altercation at the UFC Performance Institute in September 2022.

The drama would be followed by Costa denigrating Chimaev on "The Triple C & The Schmo Show" on September 10, where he shoved Chimaev's hat down his pants and instructed Chimaev to "Come to your friend, me, Paulo Costa, and I will [give it to you]."

Hopefully the long-overdue matchup can deliver on its promises.

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Published Jul 20, 2023

MATHEW RIDDLE

Mathew is a UK-based combat sports journalist, graphic designer, and SEO expert with over five years of experience in digital marketing and a dedicated four-year track record in MMA journalism. He joined MMAKO in 2023. Mathew's insights have been featured on The Fight Fanatic, Heavy on UFC, Fansided, and Sportskeeda. Reach him at mr@thefightfanatic.com.