Paulo Costa and his team have issued a statement after he allegedly hit a nurse.
It was reported that Costa went to get the immunization card without actually getting the vaccine. The nurse then apparently grabbed Costa in an effort to stop him from taking the card and in turn he threw an elbow, causing the nurse to suffer a swollen lip during/after the altercation.
After the news broke, Costa’s team released a statement on his Instagram denying that he hit a nurse.
“The recent articles published by the media involving athlete Paulo Costa – ‘Borrachinha’ referring to what happened in a shopping mall in the city of Contagem/MG generated questions, so we must present come clarifications. First, tending to sensationalism, these are reckless and inconsistent,” the statement read. “The athlete Paulo Costa – ‘Borrachinha’ and his entire team reject any type of violence. ‘Borrachinha’ is a high-performing athlete, full time dedicated to training, to following the rules, guidelines, and disciplines.
“According his philosophy and human conduct this kind of allegations are completely incompatible with his history and way of life,” Costa’s statement continued. “The accusations and facts narrated do not reflect the reality of what happened. The fact will be carefully investigated and the appropriate legal measures for their perfect clarification will be taken.”
After the reported incident, the police questioned Costa but he was ultimately released. However, the alleged victim did file a criminal complaint. The nurse also added that she didn’t need medical attention.
Paulo Costa is set to return on August 20 at UFC 278 against Luke Rockhold after the fight was moved from UFC 277. The Brazilian is currently on a two-fight losing streak after dropping a decision to Marvin Vettori in October and losing by TKO to Israel Adesanya for the middleweight title.
