Paulo Costa’s new coach believes the Brazilian still possesses the ability to capture titles in two UFC weight classes.
Costa is gearing up to move up to the light heavyweight division for a clash with unbeaten Azamat Murzakanov at UFC 327, scheduled for April 11 at the Kaseya Center in Miami, Florida.
“The Eraser” was initially booked to face Brunno Ferreira in a middleweight bout at UFC 326 on March 7, but he ultimately declined the matchup in favor of moving up a division.
As he prepares for the next phase of his career, Costa has relocated his training camp to UFC Gym Largo in Florida, where he is now working under veteran coach Andre Benkei. He is joined by new sparring partners while continuing to be guided by his longtime mentor and brother, Carlos Costa.
Following his time with the former UFC middleweight title challenger, Benkei has recognized Costa’s potential and believes he is in a strong mental space ahead of a significant test.
‘Borrachinha’ is focused on becoming world champion,” Benkei said during an interview with MMAFighting.com. “He wants to become world champion within a year. The guy is giving up everything, he doesn’t even live at home. His mind is ready for this now.”
The renowned coach also revealed that the UFC has indicated Paulo Costa could earn a shot at a top-five opponent in either the middleweight or light heavyweight division if he gets past Murzakanov. Benkei believes such a scenario could pave the way for “The Eraser” to position himself as a future two-division champion.
That’s a challenge worth taking because I think he’s ready. ‘Borrachinha’ has that eye of the tiger now, so let’s go. That’s why he moved up. We’re moving up to become champion in both divisions. To make history. That’s what he wants to do. [He said] ’I don’t just want to win, I want to make history.’”
MMA Fans Push Back On Andre Benkei’s Two-Division Title Dream For Paulo Costa
Andre Benkei’s confident projection that Paulo Costa could one day become a two-division UFC champion drew a mixed response across social media, with many fans openly ridiculing the take and labeling the coach’s remarks as overly optimistic.
Paulo Costa last competed at UFC 318 in July 2025, where he secured a unanimous decision win over Roman Kopylov. The victory snapped a two-fight skid that included losses to former middleweight champions Sean Strickland and Robert Whittaker in 2024.
“The Eraser” has struggled to build consistent momentum, going 2-4 in his last six outings while posting a 7-4 record in the UFC and 15-4 overall.
