Paulo Costa, UFC's middleweight champion, has resigned from his long-term manager just weeks before his return fight. He has replaced her with his girlfriend.
Two weeks before Luke Rockhold's UFC 278 match, the former 185lb title challenger parted ways from Walid Ismail, a prominent Brazilian agent.
Wallid Ismail, long-time manager of UFC Middleweight Star Paulo Costa, has been fired
Ismail has been replaced by Tamara Alves, a former title challenger
Costa and Alves have been together for almost ten years
They met in a gym in 2013.
Alves will negotiate Costa’s fights and contracts with the UFC moving forward
Costa, 31 years old, has named Tamara Alves his manager.
Borrachina made the announcement of his separation from Ismail via a YouTube video, saying "I have nothing negative to say about Wallid."
"He is a trustworthy person and very professional. I have nothing but compliments for him.
"We have very different opinions about my career so we decided not to work together."
Alves, who is the owner of her own Brazilian gym, will now negotiate Costa’s fights and contracts for mixed martial arts' top promotion.
Costa and Alves met at the gym nine years ago and have been together ever since.
She spoke with ESPN about her meeting Paulo in 2013 and recalled it to them. My cousin's husband worked out with him at the gym.
He said, "Wow Tata, there's this very handsome man at the gym. He'd be a great fit for you.
"The gym was hosting an international jiu jitsu championship, and he asked me to stop by.
"Paulo was there competing. We met up and greeted one another, but we didn't speak. He was very focused.
"Everyone was talking about how great he was. I can recall thinking, "Is that really so? Or do they not know any other people?"
Paulo could be the best fighter in the gym.
"But that was the day he surprised me. His coolness was evident in his eyes, which you couldn't see in any other person.
"That night was a party for gym staff, and we met there. He asked my friend for mine number, but didn't ask me.
Costa will be facing Rockhold in his UFC 278 match with Rockhold after consecutive losses to Marvin Vettori and Israel Adesanya, the reigning champions of middleweight.
