Paulo Costa Can’t Cut Down To Middleweight For UFC Vegas 41 Vs. Marvin Vettori

By Fight Sports Oct 20, 2021 Last updated Oct 21, 2021

The main event of UFC Vegas 41 is still scheduled for Saturday, but Paulo Costa might not be in it.

Costa, currently 211 pounds, admitted he won’t be able to cut down to the 186-pound limit for his headliner matchup against Marvin Vettori.

“My weight right now is 96kilos (211 pounds),” Costa said during the UFC Vegas 41 media day. “What happened yesterday, [my manager] Wallid [Ismail] talked with some people with him, Ali [Abdelaziz], his manager I think, and it’s not on the schedule to make 185 [pounds] anymore. It’s another weight. I’m not exactly [sure] which weight yet.”

Paulo Costa, currently 211 pounds, says he won’t make 186 for Saturday’s main event.

“Maybe we can do a catchweight of 195.”#UFCVegas41 | Full video: https://t.co/2kwJyf3xZJ pic.twitter.com/wsMh6zzMRP

— MMA Junkie (@MMAjunkie) October 20, 2021

Costa has not seen action since September 2020 losing to middleweight champion Israel Adesanya. Saturday’s fight could help him climb back into title contention.

But the Brazilian fighter might not compete at all unless Vettori and his team can book the fight at a catchweight, or possibly light heavyweight.

Costa’s manager Wallid Ismail told the MMA Hour that he’s confident Costa and Vettori’s teams can come to terms and make the fight go as planned.

“I think this fight will happen,” Costa said. “It just will not happen if he don’t want to fight me. Maybe we can do a catchweight 195 [pounds] maybe but I think make this fight [205 pounds] could be more exciting to the fans.”