Prochazka Wants Paulo Costa Next — But Costa Says the Fight Doesn't Exist

Jiri Prochazka is done waiting around. The former UFC light heavyweight champion, who hasn't fought since Carlos Ulberg iced him in the first round of their vacant title fight at UFC 327 in April, spent the weekend trying to drag Paulo Costa into a fight the two men can't even agree exists. In a callout video, Prochazka claimed the UFC has already put an offer on Costa's desk for October or November — and told Costa to stop tagging him if he isn't going to sign it.

Costa's response? There is no offer. The former middleweight title challenger, who moved up to 205 pounds earlier on that same UFC 327 card and stopped previously unbeaten contender Azamat Murzakanov (16-1) with a third-round kick, insists nobody in the UFC has so much as mentioned Prochazka's name to him. He then took a shot at Prochazka's, let's call it, unconventional public persona and told him to get back to it.

Two Guys, Zero 2026 Wins

Here's the wrinkle both men are talking past: neither has fought since April. Costa has spent the layoff campaigning loudly for a title shot, positioning himself as the division's savior and taking aim at former champ Magomed Ankalaev as the sort of "boring" fighter he intends to save 205 from. That's a big swing for a man 0-1 in the division on paper — his UFC 327 win notwithstanding, it was his light heavyweight debut.

Prochazka, meanwhile, is trying to rebuild after a brutal night. Ulberg — now the champion at 15-1 with 10 knockouts — needed just one round to end their meeting with a punch. For a fighter whose whole brand is walking into fire and swinging out, getting stopped that quickly stings, and a bounce-back against a fresh, loud name like Costa makes obvious sense.

Why This Fight Actually Works

Strip away the social-media sniping and the matchup is clean. Costa needs a recognizable scalp to justify his title talk; Prochazka needs a win to stay relevant in a division now run by the man who beat him. Two heavy-handed strikers with reputations for chaos is the kind of booking that sells itself.

For now, though, it's a standoff — one side saying the contract's ready, the other saying there's nothing to sign. Prochazka says he's waiting. Costa says he's got nothing to wait on. Someone's bluffing, and the UFC's matchmakers are the only ones who know which.