Paulo Costa has reignited his beef with Khamzat Chimaev.
Their feud began back in Sept. 2022. While still competing at 170-pounds, Khamzat ran into Costa mid-training session at the UFC Performance Institute, and the duo had to be separated after an angry exchange of words. Not too long after their altercation, Khamzat missed weight so badly he was forced up a division, leaving the two in the same class. The path was clear for a grudge match, and so the bout was booked for UFC 294.
Unfortunately, Costa
was forced to withdraw with a nasty elbow infection, and the bout never materialized. Costa hasn’t forgotten, however, and he used his high-profile UFC 318 victory to demand a scrap with “Borz” just like he promised.
In the lead up to UFC 318, Costa claimed his continued issue with Khamzat stemmed from inappropriate direct messages the Chechen wrestler sent to his girlfriend and manager, Tamara Alves. Khamzat denied his statement and claimed Alves initiated the chat, replying, “It was she who wrote to me habibi” on X.
It was she who wrote to me habibi
— Khamzat Chimaev (@KChimaev) July 20, 2025
In response, Costa has leaked a screenshot proving that Khamzat was sending creepy DMs (though he didn’t prove who initiated the conversation). In the image Costa shared, Khamzat sends a message that reads, “Haw [sic] you can be together with this s—t, he like black boys” accompanied by several laughing emojis and a picture of Israel Adesanya humping Costa.
Screenshot of the DMs
— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) July 21, 2025
(via @BorrachinhaMMA) pic.twitter.com/i8oCT05lCP
Involving a competitor’s wife or girlfriend in a fight beef is a low move, but it’s far from unprecedented. Does Alves being Costa’s manager make any difference? Ultimately, this is just Khamzat’s version of “YA WOIFE IS IN ME DMs,” but Costa’s leak helps prove that at least some of what he’s saying is accurate.
After his UFC 318 win, Costa is significantly closer to actually scoring his grudge match inside the Octagon. If Khamzat is unsuccessful next month at UFC 319, Costa vs. Khamzat could materialize while the iron is hot.
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