It's safe to say Paulo Costa is frustrated with his current situation.
With one fight left on his UFC contract, the outspoken former title challenger revealed that he asked the promotion to release him. Costa (16-4 MMA, 8-4 UFC), who made good in his return to light heavyweight by finishing Azamat Murzakanov at UFC 327, vented his frustration towards the matchmaking.
"We already asked to be released but they refused," Costa said on "The Ariel Helwani Show." "They said, 'No, we're not going to release you. You need to do one more at least.' Actually, I've been asking for this a couple of times. The most recent was like days ago. ... It's not about relationships. We are professionals. Just go, show up, fight, that's it. I'm very professional, they are professional as well.
It's not about relationship. I'm an honest guy.
"I just say what I think. I don't like to fake anything. It's not about a fight against them. They're doing their business and I do mine. I'm looking for big fights. I'm looking for big names. I think the fans want to see a great fight, a big fight. I'm in this position right now to make the big fights, and I want to bring these exciting fights to the fans. That's my goal right now."
Costa, 35, said he initially asked for his release in January after he was in talks to fight Reinier de Ridder, but didn't get the fight. He wound up facing Murzakanov instead.
With champion Carlos Ulberg sidelined due to ACL surgery, Costa wanted to compete for the interim light heavyweight title when the promotion were scrambling for a UFC 332 main event, but the Oct. 3 headliner in Salt Lake City ended up being a vacant flyweight title fight between Natalia Silva and Wang Cong, after champion Valentina Shevchenko relinquished her belt due to injury.
"I'm sad because I think we could have given a much better fight card going on for the Salt Lake City fans," Costa said. "I don't think fans are so happy, I'm not happy, but it's not about me. I've asked to fight since May. I asked them to fight in June, July, August. They told me to wait. I don't know why. Maybe because the light heavyweight division is a little bit uncertain, it didn't have too much fighters available.
"The guys coming from losses and stuff. So, I was waiting for a fight, I was asking for a fight. They first came up with five days' short notice to fight (Magomed Ankalaev) in Abu Dhabi. Of course I say, 'Come on.' Any time, give me a decent date, give me a schedule, but they didn't give me that. I asked to fight in Salt Lake City, I asked to fight everywhere. California, UFC Noche, but for some reason, UFC doesn't want to put the interim light heavyweight belt on the line. I think this is a disaster."
Costa says the UFC did later come to him with another name, but he refuses to take a five-round fight under his current pay.
"I think so, but not for an interim belt," Costa said. "They sent an offer to fight for five rounds, not for an interim belt, and something that doesn't make sense to me. They didn't mention the name."
This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: Paulo Costa calls for release after not getting interim title fight at UFC 332
