Paulo Costa was fined by two athletic commissions and issued a retroactive six-month suspension by USADA for a prohibited IV use prior to two UFC wins, and also had to deal with other issues outside the Octagon.
Costa admitted to receiving an IV of permitted substances, including saline solution and stomach medication called Plasil, prior to his wins over Oluwale Bamgbose and Johny Hendricks. A video of “Borrachinha” administering the IV in a hotel room had surfaced online months before, and Costa now says that an ex-trainer was the “snitch” responsible for the footage.