Former title challenger and current #13-ranked UFC middleweight Paulo Costa has officially been announced as one half of the scheduled co-main event on November 22nd, where he will face Shara Magomedov in Qatar. Costa is coming off his first win since 2022, having defeated the always-dangerous Roman Kopylov. Once considered a juggernaut of the division, Costa is now looking to return to top form against Shara.

“The Bullet,” as Magomedov is known, has remained active with six fights in the promotion since joining in 2023. His only loss came at the hands of Michael “Venom” Page. Despite that setback, Shara has quickly become a fan favorite and a fixture on cards held in the Middle East.

Due to blindness in one eye, Shara would not be eligible for sanctioning by athletic commissions in the U.S. However, that hasn’t stopped fighters in the past. Michael Bisping famously won the UFC middleweight title against Luke Rockhold at UFC 199 via first-round knockout—while hiding the fact that he had vision in only one eye from the California State Athletic Commission.

While visiting Las Vegas Paulo Costa took the time to do an interview with Helen Yee, Costa spoke about his time in Vegas, gambling and training with a former opponent.

Guns, Grappling, and Good Vibes: Costa Talks Training With a Former Foe

While being interviewed by Helen Yee, Costa was asked what it was like to train with a former opponent Sean Strickland. He responded:

“Yes, I did a couple of sessions with him. It was great. He has good wrestling—I’d say American-style wrestling or grappling. He’s good at that. I gave some, learned some—it was a good exchange of knowledge. I was able to take a lot of different things from him and from the other training partners. Training together was great. He was pretty heavy, pretty strong… I’d say around 230 pounds, something like that. But yeah, he’s still motivated, still focused. It was great to be with him.”

Costa also shared activates outside of the gym:

“We can go shoot in the desert—you know, he loves guns, something like that. Maybe drive some motorcycles. Yeah, I might go to the lake, maybe do some hiking, something like that. I heard he loves hiking and camping. I like that too. I like more exercise-type stuff—doing the hills, climbing, running, that kind of thing. I never really stop training. I see that as training too—a kind of training.”

Paulo Costa is hoping for a return to form in his next outing. Training with a former champion is sure to improve his skills. Costa is still a respected contender in the division—and known for the humor that has endeared him to many UFC fans—his upcoming bout with “The Bullet” promises to be a must-watch striking delight.