Outside Source
Paulo Costa returned to the win column at UFC 318. | Getty/UFC
Paulo Costa finds it difficult to zone in for his fights.
Costa returned to the win column with a unanimous decision victory over Roman Kopylov at UFC 318 on Saturday. While there were many doubters, Costa knew he was better than Kopylov in every aspect and promised his team a victory. However, “Borrachinha” was most concerned about focusing on the fight. Known for his fun-loving persona, Costa admits that he has struggled with his ‘“party mentality” ahead of his fights. Under the bright lights and the electrifying atmosphere at the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans, the Brazilian had to repeatedly keep telling himself to focus on the task at hand. Costa in even considering consulting a psychologist to help him separate his work and party mentality.
’Borrachinha’ Considers Seeing Psychologist to Help Pre-Fight Mindset
“It’s hard for me to focus and come with the work mentality. I come with party mentality. It is not good when we’re gonna fight,” Costa said in a backstage interview with the UFC. “Because it’s a big show and I love this environment. So I need to separate this, maybe I will talk with some psychologist. I need to focus. I was telling [myself] 100 times in the back room, ‘Paulo this is work, this is not party.’”
While Costa is 7-4 in the UFC, he has only lost against top-tier opponents. The 34-year-old rebounded from back-to-back hard-fought decision losses with his win over Kopylov. Costa wants to fight Khamzat Chimaev next, regardless of whether “Borz” dethrones Dricus Du Plessis at UFC 319 in August.
This article first appeared at Recent News on Sherdog.com
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