Caio Borralho, a UFC middleweight fighter, has expressed dismay over Paulo Costa’s inability to correct mistakes that have led to multiple losses. Borralho, who considers Costa an entertaining athlete, advises him to re-evaluate his game plan and make necessary adjustments.
Borralho points out that Costa has repeatedly fallen victim to the same calf kicks that Israel Adesanya utilized, demonstrating a lack of adaptation. He suggests that Costa’s reliance on throwing right hands while standing on his lead leg makes him vulnerable to calf kicks, a fundamental tactic in modern MMA.
Borralho questions Costa’s ability to translate his impressive performances in training into effective fight-night executions. Costa, who began his professional MMA career with 13 consecutive victories and 11 knockouts, has struggled to replicate his early success since stopping Uriah Hall in 2018.
Borralho speculates that Costa may be overtraining or failing to execute his strategies effectively during fights. He notes that Costa’s insistence on a first-round spinning heel kick being a decisive factor in the outcome of the Whittaker fight highlights a disconnect from reality.
Despite acknowledging Whittaker’s fading performance, Borralho credits him for utilizing his experience and scoring consistently throughout the bout. Costa, on the other hand, failed to demonstrate the aggressive tactics that had characterized his previous victories, leading to a unanimous decision loss.
Costa is scheduled to face former 185-pound champion Sean Strickland at UFC 302 on June 1st, while Borralho is set to fight Paul Craig at UFC 301 in Rio de Janeiro on May 4th.
