UFC middleweight star Paulo Costa reportedly ended up being questioned at a Brazilian police station on Monday after allegedly elbowing a female nurse when he reportedly failed in an attempt to falsely obtain a COVID-19 vaccination card.
Brazilian news outlet Globo was the first to report the incident between the former UFC title contender and a nurse at a shopping center in the city of Contagem. Costa, 31, is believed to have elbowed the woman in the face after an apparent attempt to score a COVID vaccination card without actually being vaccinated for the pandemic-causing virus.
Paulo Costa elbowed a female nurse in the mouth after trying to leave with a vaccination card
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Healthcare workers on the scene that talked to police after the altercation claimed “Borrachinha” had shown up looking to get vaccinated. However, after his card was filled out and the shot was set to be administered, Costa tried to skip out on the final part of the process and take home the card.
Obviously, the workers were not going to approve of such a move and when they would not allow the cage-fighting star to leave with the card he apparently elbowed one female nurse in the face. Both the nurse and Costa were taken to the Contagem Duty Police Station where the woman claimed her lips were swollen from the strike.
In his own statement, Costa told a CDP officer that he “got the vaccine, but the nurses didn’t let him go out with the card. He said it generated stress. He took the card and left. At that moment, a nurse grabbed him by the arm, he broke free,” and elbowed her in the mouth.
Paulo Costa was eventually released from the CDP station but will have a future date in court after the victim filed a criminal complaint.
- Paulo Costa record: 13-2 (11 knockouts, 1 submission)
After a planned booking on July 30 was postponed, Costa is set to return to the Octagon on August 20 and will face former middleweight champion, Luke Rockhold, at UFC 278. The event is expected to take place in Salt Lake City, Utah.
Costa has lost two straight after beginning his career unbeaten over his first 13 fights.