Paulo Costa Withdraws from UFC 326 Bout vs. Brunno Ferreira

Paulo Costa has withdrawn from his scheduled middleweight bout against fellow Brazilian Brunno Ferreira at UFC 326, set for March 7, 2026, at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. The development, confirmed by multiple reports, leaves Ferreira seeking a new opponent just weeks after the matchup was announced.

The reason for Costa's withdrawal remains undisclosed, though it adds to a pattern of cancellations in his UFC career. The 34-year-old fighter, ranked 13th in the middleweight division, last competed in July 2025 at UFC 318, where he secured a unanimous decision victory over Roman Kopylov to end a two-fight losing streak. Those defeats came against former champions Sean Strickland in June 2024 via split decision and Robert Whittaker in February 2024 via unanimous decision. Across his last six UFC appearances, Costa holds a 2-4 record, with his most recent stoppage win dating back to 2018.

Ferreira, 33, expressed disappointment but quickly pivoted to potential alternatives. In a post on Instagram, he described Costa's exit bluntly, writing, "Unfortunately, the weak rubber left the fight. But that's nothing new, he's a soft a." The comment refers to Costa's nickname...