Dana
White has addressed Paulo
Costa's frustration with the
Ultimate Fighting Championship.

Costa recently slammed UFC exec Hunter Campbell after he was
seemingly offered a short-notice five-round bout for the final
fight of his current contract. While the former title challenger is
open to accepting a five-rounder, he wants to be compensated
accordingly and have ample time to prepare for a 25-minute bout.
The Brazilian has even repeatedly requested his release from the
promotion.

Paulo Costa says he wants his final UFC fight as Dana White
points to offers he turned down

When asked about Costa's comments following
Week 7 of
Dana White's Contender Series, White acknowledged the fighter's
frustration but revealed that “Borrachinha†has turned down several
fights.

“Oh, yeah. [Paulo is] frustrated, yeah,†White said. “He’s been
offered fights and turned them down. We don’t just say, ‘f*ck Paulo
Costa,’ and, ‘you’re not going to get a fight,’ and ‘no, we’re not
going to pay you,’ and ‘no, we’re not going to do this.’ Guys get
offered three fights a year regularly, even guys who aren’t
fighting. Tom
Aspinall’s eyes are messed up. He’s getting offered fights. You
think Paulo Costa isn’t getting offered fights?â€

Costa previously called for an interim title fight amidst light
heavyweight champ Carlos
Ulberg's rehabilitation from injury, but later claimed the UFC
wasn't interested. Most recently, he was called out by former champ
Magomed
Ankalaev.

Ok, I'm making this public and clear:
I have 1 fight left. On my contract The purse is set for 3 rounds,
not 5. I'm asking for the 3-round fight that was already agreed on
contract . It can be anyone on the UFC LHW roaster.

I think Hunter has 3 options now:
A) Give me that last…

— Paulo
Costa (@BorrachinhaMMA)
September 20, 2026

Dana White responds to Paulo Costa
asking for a fight:

“He’s been offered fights and turned them down. We don’t just say
‘f*ck Paulo
Costa’. You think Paulo Costa
isn’t getting offered fights?” 😬 pic.twitter.com/OHrWv7eAsc

— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS)
September 23, 2026

Mauricio
Ruffy showcased improved takedown defense against Arman
Tsarukyan, but didn't anticipate the fight-ending blow at the
end of the first round.

Tsarukyan stopped Ruffy with an elbow at 4:56 of the opening round
on Sept. 19 at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles. The result
strengthened Tsarukyan's position in the lightweight title picture,
while Ruffy suffered his second loss in the
Ultimate Fighting Championship. Pedro Rizzo
and Renato
“Money†Moicano recently reflected on the fight.

Mauricio Ruffy frustrated Arman Tsarukyan's wrestling before
the clinch attack produced the finish

Former UFC heavyweight title challenger Rizzo praised Ruffy's
ability to thwart Tsarukyan's wrestling before highlighting how the
latter's adjustment ultimately made the difference.

“When you start worrying too much about defense, you become too
defensive and stop attacking,†Rizzo said. “You have to give their
strategy credit. That combination of the clinch and the elbow
caught Ruffy by surprise. He had already taken two [elbows]. He
should have realized that when they broke from the clinch,
Tsarukyan was throwing a punch or an elbow. But it's important to
say that it's easy to talk from the couch. Things happen very
quickly there. It's difficult to recognize that during the first
round of a fight. So I prefer to say it was a credit to Tsarukyan
and his team.â€

Moicano, who trains at
American Top Team alongside Tsarukyan, offered a similar
assessment of the fight.

“When Ruffy started letting his hands go and frustrating Arman's
takedowns, he got desperate,†Moicano said. “I started seeing
Tsarukyan's eye swelling up. But Arman, besides being versatile on
the feet and having great cardio, is very aggressive. He kept his
composure and started using feints until he got into the clinch and
began attacking with elbows, and one of them ended the fight.â€

Moicano was slated to fight on the same card as Tsarukyan vs.
Ruffy, but his opponent, Brian
Ortega, withdrew from the matchup after sustaining a cut above
his eye. Moicano is now booked to face Tom Nolan
later this year.

Gable
Steveson has broken his silence following his stunning
12-second knockout loss.

Steveson was handed his first pro defeat by Sean
Sharaf, who pulled off one of the biggest upsets in
Ultimate Fighting Championship history. In his post-fight
statement, the Olympian addressed both the defeat and sexual
assault allegations stemming from his college years that resurfaced
during fight week.

Gable Steveson addresses Sean Sharaf upset and fight-week
allegations

Steveson and his teammate were arrested in connection with a sexual
assault allegation in 2019, but no criminal charges were ultimately
filed because of a lack of evidence. Sharaf repeatedly referenced
the allegations during fight week, turning fans against him, and
Steveson addressed those comments in a statement.

“This statement is for my family, my friends, my fans and the
people who truly know me and know the kind of man I am,†Steveson
wrote. “I know there are people who will never support me, no
matter what I say or do. That's their choice. But I'm speaking to
the people who know me not just as an athlete but as a husband and
a father to a young daughter.â€

Sharaf brought up the allegations during the pre-fight presser and
even gave Steveson the nickname “loophole,†which fans have carried
forward. The latter says he didn't commit the crime that fans are
attacking him for.

“Prior to and during fight week, an incident from my college years
was brought up by my opponent,†Steveson continued. “I believe it
was raised to get in my head but it also reopened something that
had been addressed years ago. I want to be clear — I did not do
anything alleged. I was never charged with a crime and he matter
was ultimately dropped by the district attorney. The allegations
were not ignored nor brushed aside. They were thoroughly and
heavily reviewed as I fully cooperated with law enforcement,
including a separate Title IX review. There were no criminal
charges, no conviction, and no finding of responsibility against
me. The matter was closed and there is no pending legal issue
involving me. My own attorney did their own investigation and
stated on the record that even if the law was changed, I would have
the same outcome, which now speaks for itself.â€

Steveson also directly addressed Sharaf's win, congratulating him
on the massive upset.

🚨 Gable
Steveson just released a statement following his knockout
loss:

“Prior to and during fight week, an incident from my college years
was brought up by my opponent. I believe it was raised to get in my
head, but it also reopened something that had been addressed years
ago.… pic.twitter.com/0eD6aFWaUX

— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS)
September 22, 2026