Credit: Joao Baptista 
Credit: Joao Baptista 
Credit: Joao BaptistaSurging Ultimate Fighting Championship middleweight Paulo Costa has taken a shot at Yoel Romero for pulling out of their scheduled fight at UFC 230 because he believes the Cuban wants to train more ahead of their much-anticipated clash.
The 27 year-old “Borrachinha,” meaning “Eraser,” has only fought four times in the UFC but it’s the manner of his last two wins over former UFC welterweight champion Johny Hendricks followed by his destruction of Uriah Hall that has fans taking notice.
UFC matchmakers paired Costa with former title challenger Romero in November at UFC 230 in Madison Square Garden. The Cuban withdrew from the card, stating that he is still recovering from facial injuries he suffered in his fight against middleweight champion Robert Whittaker in June.
Costa spoke with Combate recently and said while “The Soldier of God” may be hurt from the fight with Whittaker, he believes he is stalling so he can train more for the challenge ahead.
“I think he’s stalling, he wants more time to train,” Costa said. “That’s the truth. I don’t doubt he could be hurt, but I think he’s taking advantage of it and asking for more time to train. When the UFC sent him the contract, he knew the fight would be in November, otherwise they wouldn’t send it. I signed it, he didn’t. He said his doctor told him he needed more time to heal, but he hurt himself when he fought Whittaker, how much time would he need?
“He knows it’s going to be a tough fight, everyone in the weight class knows how it is when you fight me,” Costa added. “It’s going be a really aggressive fight, with devastating punches and kicks. He doesn’t want to risk his health, especially a 41-year-old man who’s probably thinking about retiring. If he hurt his face, he’ll be afraid of getting hit there. I think he wasn’t sparring that hard before, so now it’s going to be even less hard. Unfortunately, that fight won’t be good for him.”