Paulo Costa claims Sean Strickland turned down a fight against him, Strickland responds

UFC fighter Paulo Costa has claimed that Sean Strickland turned down a fight against him – which Sean has refuted.

Right now, the middleweight division is looking pretty interesting. There are plenty of top stars battling it out for the belt right now, and beyond that, there are so many rising names just waiting to make an impact. Two names that we’re very familiar with, of course, are Paulo Costa and Sean Strickland.

Strickland has always been a pretty controversial figure. At this moment in time, though, fans are more interested in seeing who he’ll battle next in the Octagon.

RELATED: Sean Strickland calls out “kind of dumb” Paulo Costa: “I’m going to put him on his knees and f**k him like Izzy”

As per Paulo Costa in a recent interview, it could’ve been him.

https://twitter.com/ChampRDS/status/1777429416970186785

Sean Strickland responds to Paulo Costa pic.twitter.com/qrWaxVAXT9

— mma casual (@mmafanatixzx) April 9, 2024

Costa’s Strickland story

“I love the idea of fighting Cannonier, and [the UFC] suggested I fight in June,” Costa said. “But then, the UFC came back and said, ‘Paulo, you fight Sean Strickland on June 1. It’s a great fight. It’s a fun fight, even more fun that Cannonier, I think.

“Unfortunately, I don’t know what happened – Strickland said no. Strickland refused to fight me. That’s what the UFC told me. I just have this information from the UFC. I think the fight would be great. I would love to fight him.”

Quotes via MMA Fighting

In a short and sweet response to this story, Strickland said: “I never say no.. I say how much”.

It doesn’t appear as if this is going to happen anytime soon. However, if it does, we can only imagine the kind of trash talk we’re going to hear.

Are you interested in the idea of seeing Paulo Costa square off with Sean Strickland? Who would be the favorite in that battle? Let us know, BJPENN Nation!