They might not be fighting this weekend anymore, but Paulo Costa is pissed off at Yoel Romero.
The pair were originally set to fight at UFC Ft. Lauderdale this Saturday, only for Costa to suddenly be pulled from the bout and Romero to then be scheduled against Ronaldo ‘Jacare’ Souza. For a moment, Costa’s removal for the fight was unknown until Romero publicly stated during an interview that he’d heard a USADA violation was the cause.
While Romero eventually took those words back, Costa still remembers them.
“It’s not true. Romero is a bad guy. He put this in the air,” Costa said, speaking on the Ariel Helwani MMA Show. “It’s not true. I never used steroids in my life. I never used anything to shift the game.
“Of course (it’s more personal now). If I fight against him, I will punch with more power to make him pay.”
At the moment, Costa does actually have a situation involving USADA, but he insists not as sinister as Romero’s made out. Instead, it’s relating to a medication he took for his stomach that the New York Athletic Commission want to know more about.
According to Costa, it’s nothing to worry about, but rather just some red tape that’s yet to be resolved.
“I feel bad in my stomach, a stomach ache,” Costa said. “My medication was normal. It was not to increase performance. But I cannot speak much about this. I need to wait for the New York commission to close the case.”
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