The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) 326 event, initially lauded for its stacked preliminary lineup, has encountered a significant scheduling complication. Fan-favorite middleweight contender, Paulo Costa, widely known as ‘The Eraser,’ has formally withdrawn from his scheduled bout against fellow Brazilian Brunno Ferreira. This cancellation, announced shortly after the fight’s confirmation, has resulted in immediate and severe backlash from the mixed martial arts (MMA) community, once again placing Costa’s professional reliability under intense scrutiny.
The Planned Encounter and the Inevitable Disruption
UFC 326 was already positioned as a high-profile event, highlighted by the BMF title rematch between Max Holloway and Charles Oliveira. The addition of the Costa vs. Ferreira middleweight clash was intended to bolster the main card with guaranteed action. For Ferreira, this was a prime opportunity to face a top-15 ranked opponent. For Costa, it was a chance to build momentum following his sole 2025 victory over Roman Kopylov, effectively solidifying his position near the top of the division despite limited activity.
However, the notification of Costa`s withdrawal Friday evening introduced immediate instability to the card, prompting organizational efforts to secure a replacement or adjust the event structure. This rapid cancellation has fundamentally altered the expectations for UFC 326, shifting the narrative from anticipation to frustration.
A Recurring Pattern: The Anatomy of a Cancellation
Paulo Costa’s history of fight withdrawals is no longer an isolated incident; it has become a defining characteristic of his recent career trajectory. This latest cancellation marks the third time in the last two years that ‘The Eraser’ has been forced to pull out of a booking. Most notoriously, he withdrew from the high-stakes clash against Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 294, an incident that severely damaged his reputation for consistency.
The irony inherent in Costa’s current standing is stark: despite holding no recent victories over currently ranked middleweights, he maintains a position within the top 15 of the 185lb division. This ranking persistence is largely attributed to his substantial name recognition and marketability—a valuable asset the UFC is generally reluctant to discard. Yet, the continuous inability to make it to fight night erodes the foundational principle of professional sports commitment.
The Vitriolic Response: Fans Demand Accountability
The reaction from the global fanbase to the news was overwhelmingly negative, reflecting a profound sense of exhaustion with the fighter`s frequent unavailability. Social media platforms quickly became saturated with demands for disciplinary action against Costa, moving beyond simple disappointment to calls for his outright removal from the roster.
Common sentiment suggests a betrayal of fan trust and a lack of respect for the process, with comments ranging from critical assessments of his professional commitment to blunt personal attacks:
“It’s so hard being a fan of this dude… Never once delivered a fight we wanted. Cut him.”
“Paulo Costa ducked Khamzat Chimaev and Brunno Ferreira. UFC might cut him out of the roster. Such a fraud, man.”
“Cut this clown.”
The intensity of the reaction highlights the precarious balance between a fighter’s market appeal and their necessary technical reliability. In the eyes of many supporters, the latter has consistently failed to materialize.
Darren Till`s Unfiltered Indictment
Adding significant fuel to the fire was former UFC star Darren Till, who has a history of public feuds with Costa. Till seized the opportunity to deliver an unfiltered indictment of Costa’s character and commitment to the sport, elevating the withdrawal from a simple administrative note to a major industry controversy.
In a blunt, highly critical social media post, Till lambasted Costa’s history and performance:
“This guy is just a big jumped up joke of a juice head. Has no respect for the sport. Just quit Costa and keep doing your secret juice gig, because that’s the only thing that works for you. You’re a bum. You’re a w****. Quit please, quit my brother. You are so f****** s***.”
Till’s commentary, though extreme, taps directly into the frustration surrounding Costa’s infamous “secret juice” persona—a marketable joke that many now see as distracting from a serious lack of professional fulfillment. Till even extended the criticism to Costa`s title shot performance, calling it worse than his own, which, considering the context, serves as the ultimate technical insult in MMA circles.
Conclusion: The Future of `The Eraser`
Paulo Costa’s repeated withdrawal from high-profile bouts poses a strategic dilemma for the UFC. While he remains a recognizable and marketable figure capable of drawing attention, his unreliability places undue pressure on event coordinators and disappoints paying audiences.
For Brunno Ferreira, this is a setback requiring a swift pivot toward a new opponent or acceptance of a delayed fight schedule. For Costa, the path forward is increasingly complicated. The volume and intensity of the criticism suggest that marketing charm alone may no longer be sufficient to justify a high ranking if the fighter consistently fails to meet their contractual obligations inside the Octagon. The organization will soon have to determine if the commercial appeal of `The Eraser` outweighs the logistical chaos and public mistrust generated by his repeated cancellations.
Rupert Hartwell