Paulo Costa slams UFC ‘double standards,’ questions Alex Pereira ranking

Paulo Costa has joined a growing chorus of criticism over what he calls inconsistent UFC ranking and title-stripping policies. His complaints center on two separate issues: the UFC's decision to allow Valentina Shevchenko to vacate her women's flyweight title—leading to a vacant-title bout between Natalia Silva and Cong Wang at UFC 332 on October 3 in Salt Lake City—while other inactive champions like UFC women's bantamweight titleholder Kayla Harrison remain ranked and keep their belts.

Cyborg, the Professional Fighters League women's featherweight champion, initially highlighted the disparity, noting that Harrison has been sidelined longer than Shevchenko yet faces no consequences. Costa amplified the criticism, arguing the promotion applies rules arbitrarily depending on the fighter. His second grievance targets Alex Pereira's heavyweight ranking: Pereira, who vacated his light heavyweight title earlier this year and moved up to heavyweight, lost his bid for an interim heavyweight title against Ciryl Gane at UFC Freedom 250. Yet he remains ranked fourth at heavyweight—a division in which he has never won a fight—while still listed at light heavyweight despite the move up.

Costa, who holds a 16-4 record, has been vocal about the UFC not offering him suitable matchups to fulfill his current contract. He took to X to vent his frustration, writing: "The UFC doesn't have a consistent standard of behavior or set of rules—they use double standards all the time." The posts highlight a broader concern in the fighter community about the UFC's opaque criteria for rankings, title vacancies, and fighter movement between weight classes. Pereira's record stands at 13-4.