Costa Reveals UFC Denied His Release Request

Paulo Costa asked the UFC for his release amid months of inactivity and was turned down flat.

The Brazilian middleweight-turned-light-heavyweight told The Ariel Helwani Show on Wednesday that the promotion refused to let him go, saying he needs to fight at least once more on his existing deal. Costa has been trying to book a bout since May but remains without an opponent, per BJPenn.com.

"We already asked to be released but they refused," Costa said. "They said, 'No, we're not going to release you. You need to do one more at least.' Actually, I've been asking for this a couple of times. The most recent was like days ago."

Costa says he first requested his release in January before eventually fighting Azamat Murzakanov. Now back on the shelf, he wants an interim light heavyweight title shot while Carlos Ulberg recovers from injury. The UFC has not committed to an interim belt, which Costa called a disaster. He confirmed the promotion offered him a five-round fight without title stakes, but declined to name the opponent or elaborate on why the terms did not make sense on his current pay scale.

Costa is 16-4 as a pro and riding back-to-back wins over Murzakanov and Roman Kopylov. He says he asked to fight at Salt Lake City, California, and UFC Noche with no takers. His next move hinges on whether the promotion books him or forces him to sit.