Jun 1, 2024; Newark, New Jersey, USA; Sean Strickland (red gloves) fights Paulo Costa (blue gloves) during UFC 302 at Prudential Center. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports

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UFC 326 Hit With Major Blow As Paulo Costa Allegedly Withdraws From Brunno Ferreira Fight

Jun 1, 2024; Newark, New Jersey, USA; Sean Strickland (red gloves) fights Paulo Costa (blue gloves) during UFC 302 at Prudential Center. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports

The middleweight division has always been one of the UFC’s most unpredictable weight classes. Just when fans think they’ve got a handle on what’s happening next, something changes. It’s the nature of combat sports really. Injuries happen, personal issues arise, and sometimes fighters just can’t make it to the octagon. And that is exactly what has befallen Paulo Costa.

He was supposed to take on Brunno Ferreira at UFC 326 in February. However, according to sources, Costa has withdrawn from the fight. This marks his 9th withdrawal or rescheduled bout in his UFC career.

Paulo Costa Pulls Out of UFC 326

The UFC 326 card just took a serious hit. Paulo Costa has reportedly withdrawn from his scheduled middleweight clash against Brunno Ferreira in March. The news broke just days after fans got excited about the matchup. Now the promotion scrambles to find a replacement opponent for Ferreira, who doesn’t seem too happy about the situation. The reasons behind Costa’s withdrawal remain unclear at this point. Neither Costa nor the UFC has released an official statement explaining what went wrong.

Brunno Ferreira needs a new opponent for UFC 326 after Paulo Costa withdrew from the March 7 card

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— MMA Fighting (@MMAFighting) December 26, 2025

Costa’s withdrawal doesn’t come as a shock to longtime UFC followers. The Brazilian fighter has developed something of a reputation over the years. He’s had issues making weight, missed fights, and dealt with various controversies throughout his career. This latest pullout adds another chapter to his complicated history with the organization. The timing couldn’t be worse for this fight cancellation either.

Costa was coming off a decent win against Roman Kopylov at UFC 318 back in July. That victory ended a rough two-fight losing streak for the former title contender. He had dropped decisions to Sean Strickland and Robert Whittaker in his previous outings. Those losses really hurt his standing in the middleweight division. The Ferreira fight was supposed to be his chance to build some momentum again and work his way back toward title contention.

The UFC needs to act quickly to keep Ferreira on the card. They have got options available but finding someone on short notice isn’t always easy. Ferreira himself called out Roman Dolidze on Instagram. But will Dolidze accept the challenge? The next few days should bring some answers.

(Image Credit: Joe Camporeale – Imagn Images)

Brunno Ferriera

Paulo Costa

UFC 326

Zaid Quraishi

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I am a dedicated MMA and Boxing content writer at The Playoffs. I was instantly hooked on MMA after watching the fight between Lyoto Machida vs. Gegard Mousasi back in 2014, and since then, i have been an avid writer with a deep love for the sport and its techniques, providing readers with a thorough understanding of the sport. My favorite aspect of working at The Playoffs is the creative freedom it provides. The diverse range of topics, from listicles and SEO to news articles, keeps me engaged and motivates me to continuously improve my skills! I aim to capture the excitement of the combat sports world in my writing, acting as the middleman between fighters and their die-hard fans. It is kind of like a referee, but with words!