Ännu en brasiliansk fighter ryktas ha åkt fast för dopning, denna gång handlar det om mellanviktaren Paulo ”Borrachinha” Costa. Uppgifterna kommer ifrån den kubanske UFC-fightern Yoel Romero, som i en intervju med Ariel Helwani berättar att Costa med största sannolikhet stängts av på grund av ett positivt dopningstest.
The problem is, what I hear is that Paulo Costa had a positive test for USADA. That’s what happened. That’s what we hear. UFC called my manager and told us Paulo Costa is out because he’s positive. Now we need to see another opponent. They say Jacare Souza, and I say okay, I will fight him.
Romero ringde dock upp Helwani efter intervjun och förklarade att det enbart är rykten som han hört angående Costa.
Re: the Paulo Costa story, Yoel Romero called me immediately after the show to clarify that he had only heard that Paulo Costa failed a USADA drug test but he is not sure if that is accurate at this time. He said he would never want to accuse anyone before the facts come out.
Re: the Paulo Costa story, Yoel Romero called me immediately after the show to clarify that he had only heard that Paulo Costa failed a USADA drug test but he is not sure if that is accurate at this time. He said he would never want to accuse anyone before the facts come out.
— Ariel Helwani (@arielhelwani) March 11, 2019
Borrchinha själv tillbakavisar anklagelserna i en intervju med brasilianska Tatame. Enligt Costa är han den fighter som testats mest av USADA.
I’m the Brazilian UFC fighter who gets tested the most by USADA – I never failed (a doping test) and I didn’t this time. I don’t need doping to get all the good results I’ve been getting and to be regarded as the new Brazilian star in the sport, like I am. I don’t need these things.
Den 27-årige Costa har imponerat stort i UFC där han inkasserat fyra vinster, alla via TKO. Brassen har vunnit alla sina 12 proffsmatcher via avslut, 11 via TKO/KO och en via submission.
