Dana White: ‘It’s possible’ Paulo Costa will be pulled from UFC 294
UFC 294 has been hit with madness. The original main event between Charles Oliveira and Islam Makhachev has been scrapped because of an injury to Oliveira and Alexander Volkanovski is filling in on short notice. Now, the UFC 294 co-main event between Paulo Costa and Khamzat Chimaev is in danger of falling out because of a Costa elbow injury, according to UFC CEO Dana White.
Costa made his injury public earlier this week, explaining that he had elbow surgery three weeks ago.
Costa discussed his injury in more detail on “The MMA Hour” as he explained he had a “bursitis infection”. Still, he plans to fight Chimaev at UFC 294.
The issue is that Costa may be removed from his bout despite wanting to compete. At Dana White’s Contender Series Season 7, Episode 10 post-fight press conference, White explained that the bout is in danger of falling through.
“Yeah, it’s possible,” White said when asked if the bout was in jeopardy.
White went on to explain that he hopes to announce Costa’s status “very soon.”
Costa’s hopes of fighting at UFC 294 will ultimately fall on the doctors in Abu Dhabi and the athletic commission overseeing the bout.
White later added the UFC was already searching for replacements if Costa is deemed unable to compete at UFC 294. That does not help Costa, but it will ensure that Chimaev will remain as the event’s co-main event.
If any ranked middleweight agrees to fight Chimaev on ten days notice, they should be given their flowers. That is probably not a job that many fighters are requesting.
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