TLDR
- Jiri Prochazka says UFC offered Paulo Costa a fight against him in October or November
- Costa denied the claim, saying nobody has mentioned Prochazka’s name to him
- Both fighters competed at UFC 327 in April, with Costa winning and Prochazka losing
- The dispute started after Costa mentioned Prochazka while taking shots at other contenders
- UFC has not confirmed whether a fight offer was made to either fighter
Sources: mmajunkie.usatoday.com | sherdog.com | mmamania.com
Former UFC light heavyweight champion Jiri Prochazka claims the promotion offered Paulo Costa a fight against him for October or November. Costa quickly denied the claim on social media.
Prochazka posted a video message on Instagram directed at Costa. “Don’t tag me, don’t mention me in your posts because you have an offer from UFC to fight me in October or November,” he said. “And if you don’t want to fight me, don’t mention me, don’t speak about me.”
The Czech fighter added that he is waiting for the contract to be signed for the matchup.
Costa Fires Back on Social Media
Costa responded to Prochazka’s claims on X (formerly Twitter). “EVERYONE wants to fight me because I’m THE GUY in this boring division,” he wrote. “But the TRUTH is: so far, nobody has mentioned your name to me.”
The Brazilian finished his response by telling Prochazka to “go back to doing that weird thing of yours—whatever the hell it is you’re doing, man.”
Jiri Prochazka sends a message to Paulo Costa
“Paulo Costa. Don't tag me, don't mention me in your posts because you have a offer from UFC to fight me October or November. And if you don't want to fight me, don't mention me, don't speak about me” pic.twitter.com/VUdrwMiedg
— Dovy🔌 (@DovySimuMMA) August 1, 2026
The dispute started after Costa mentioned Prochazka’s name on social media recently. Costa has been taking shots at other light heavyweight contenders as he nears the end of his current UFC contract.
Costa criticized former champion Magomed Ankalaev’s recent performance at UFC Fight Night 282. He also mocked Prochazka for his knockout loss to current champion Carlos Ulberg.
Both Fighters Coming Off UFC 327 Appearances
Prochazka and Costa both competed at UFC 327 in April. Prochazka lost via technical knockout to Ulberg in the main event, which was for the vacant light heavyweight title. His record now stands at 32-6-1 overall and 6-3 in the UFC.
Costa picked up a knockout win over Azamat Murzakanov on the same card. The former middleweight title challenger finished Murzakanov with a head kick, improving his record to 16-4 overall and 8-4 in the UFC.
The victory marked Costa’s successful move up to the 205-pound division after spending most of his UFC career at middleweight.
The light heavyweight division is currently in a complicated situation. Champion Carlos Ulberg suffered an injury and is expected to be out until next year.
UFC president Dana White has suggested the possibility of an interim title fight while Ulberg recovers. This has created uncertainty about who will fight for the belt next.
Ankalaev recently won a lackluster decision over Bogdan Guskov at UFC Fight Night 282. Costa publicly criticized that performance, which led to some of the recent social media exchanges.
Prochazka is looking to bounce back from his disappointing title fight loss to Ulberg. Costa is trying to secure the right matchup as he approaches the final fight on his current UFC contract.
Neither the UFC nor representatives for either fighter have publicly confirmed whether a fight offer was made. The promotion has not announced any bookings for either Prochazka or Costa at this time.
