Dana White claims Paulo Costa lied about his UFC contract, brands him “lunatic”

Brazilian MMA star Paulo Costa recently made headlines after declining a contract extension from the UFC. This move comes as no surprise to those who have been following Costa’s career and his outspokenness about his impending free agency.

Costa’s contract with the UFC was set to expire after his next fight, leaving him free to explore other options. However, Costa has been vocal about his dissatisfaction with his current deal, particularly in regards to his compensation. He claims that his contract is outdated and that he is not being paid what he’s worth, especially considering his recent success in the Octagon.

He has previously spoken out about his low compensation, citing his $35,000 payout for a bout against Marvin Vettori.

Costa’s negotiations with the UFC have been rocky in the past, with the promotion initially offering him a $10,000 show and win contract. After two knockouts, the UFC offered him a five-fight deal worth $20,000 to show and $20,000 to win. However, Costa rejected the offer, and the two parties eventually settled on a $50,000 to show and $50,000 to win deal.

He reportedly stood to earn $70,000 to show $70,000 to win a scrapped bout against Robert Whittaker.

However, speaking on Bussin’ With The Boys YouTube channel, White addressed the UFC pay issue and clapped back on Costa’s claims, stating that the Brazilian was lying about the contract offer:

“I just had a situation recently and I’ll tell you who it was. It was Paulo Costa. He is a f****g lunatic. He acts like a lunatic. And he came out publicly and kind of said what we offered him. It was the farthest f****g thing from the truth.”

White continues to express his displeasure with the situation by saying:

“This was a while ago and this is the first time I’ve even talked about it, but it’s just an example. See, these guys will say stuff like that because they know I won’t talk about it publicly. I really don’t give a s**t.”