Top middleweights troll Paulo Costa after Yoel Romero’s accusations
For a period, middleweight destroyers Yoel Romero and Paulo Costa were expected to collide this spring. In a surprising twist, however, Romero was then matched up with Ronaldo ‘Jacare’ Souza, leaving Costa without an opponent.
Speaking on Ariel Helwani’s MMA Show on Monday, Romero stated that he heard Paulo Costa had been flagged for a potential United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) violation — the reason he’s apparently been pulled from this fight.
This weighty accusation has not yet been confirmed or denied by USADA or the UFC. It’s also been vehemently denied by Costa’s camp.
Asked Paulo Costa’s manager Wallid Ismail about Romero’s comments today: “He’s a big liar. I don’t know where he got that from. Paulo Costa did not test positive for anything. He’s an absolute liar. This I guarantee you.”
— Ariel Helwani (@arielhelwani) March 12, 2019
Full interview with Romero: https://t.co/QX91nKghVQ
Nonetheless, it did not take long for a handful of Costa’s middleweight rivals to start taking shots at him.
One of the first to do so was former UFC middleweight champ Chris Weidman.
If it looks like a duck, swims like a duck, and quacks like a duck, then it probably is a duck. #usada #costa
— Chris Weidman (@chrisweidman) March 11, 2019
“If it looks like a duck, swims like a duck, and quacks like a duck, then it probably is a duck,” Weidman wrote of Paulo Costa.
Damn cheaters !
— Chris Weidman (@chrisweidman) March 11, 2019
“Damn cheaters!” the former champ added in a followup Tweet.
Top UFC middleweight contender Israel Adesanya also took a moment to target Paulo Costa.
💊🦖💉
— Israel Adesanya (@stylebender) March 12, 2019
Free range, No GMO!!
Maybe he's born with it, maybe it's açaí…🤷🏾♂️
☕🐸 *sips tea in yoruba*#everybodysonsteroids #hitsblunt pic.twitter.com/kf8eu2QSzU
“Free range, No GMO!! Maybe he’s born with it, maybe it’s açaí,” Adesanya wrote. “Sips tea in yoruba #everybodysonsteroids #hitsblunt”.
Uriah Hall, a former opponent of Paulo Costa, also made a comment on Twitter, although it seems to have been deleted.
To reiterate, Romero’s comments about Costa’ remain purely rumor at present, and Costa’s team has denied these rumors completely.
Stay tuned for further updates on this Paulo Costa situation as they emerge.
This article first appeared on BJPENN.COM on 3/12/2019.
Topics:
Chris Weidman Israel Adesanya Paulo Costa UFC Yoel Romero
