Paulo Costa defeats Roman Kopylov at UFC 318

Paulo Costa returned to the win column at UFC 318. Roman Kopylov rallied late, but Costa (15-4 MMA, 7-4 UFC) had already built a lead the Russian couldn't overcome.

Their middleweight bout served as the co-main event at the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans. After 15 minutes, Costa, known as "The Eraser," defeated Kopylov by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28).

Costa opened aggressively with a series of powerful kicks. Kopylov attempted to land punches, but the Brazilian deftly evaded and countered in the center of the Octagon. As the first round progressed, Costa continued to mix up his strikes, alternating between punches and kicks.

With about a minute left in the round, Kopylov attempted to close the distance but was dropped by a heavy shot that even dislodged his mouthpiece. Costa swarmed, looking for the finish, but Kopylov recovered and made it to the end of the round.

At the start of the second, Costa continued to target his opponent's body and legs with heavy kicks. He maintained a high pace and good mobility, consistently finding his mark. A powerful punch staggered Kopylov, but he refused to go down. Moments later, another right hand found its way through his guard.

With all the momentum on his side in the third, Costa continued with a hit-and-move strategy. Kopylov increased the pressure, knowing he needed a finish. During an exchange, Kopylov landed a heavy blow that momentarily stunned Costa, but he was unable to capitalize, and Costa taunted while returning fire.

Following the victory, in an interview with Daniel Cormier, Costa called out Khamzat Chimaev, stating he wanted a rematch because Chimaev had been "messaging his wife."

Meanwhile, Chimaev is slated to face Dricus du Plessis for the middleweight title at UFC 319 on August 16th.