Taunton, Mass. native Randy Costa is looking for FOTN honors at UFC Boston. And friend Davin Carrier is not far from his mind.
In Atlanta, Georgia, at UFC 236, Randy Costa at only 4-0 made his first official walk to the UFC Octagon. A night that would ultimately end in his first professional loss, but would garner him the love and respect of many new fans. Now heading into his second UFC fight, a hometown game at UFC Boston, Costa is looking to continue his entertainment factor.
“I hope the UFC doesn’t fire me because of my idiot fans, the TD Garden is going to blow up, the place is going to erupt,” Costa told reporters including Cageside Press at the UFC Boston media day Wednesday.
Costa told a tale of his friends creating a fathead of Randy, from a photo in which a few beers were consumed, and bringing it to the local shows. Apparently it even made its way into the UFC PPV event.
Costa also took this time to speak on his late friend, Devin Carrier, a teammate and best friend of the Taunton native. Carrier was tragically killed in a car accident driving home from a training session in 2016.
“Devin and I were friends before the gym, before he passed he was always texting me to get another fight, so when he passed I felt like I owed it to myself and to him to keep going.”
Costa has dominated the regional scene, fighting out of Cage Titans in Plymouth Mass. Costa left the regional scene at only 4-0 showing just how much the UFC believed in his potential. One of the many factors in Costa’s early success is gym owner and coach, Joe Lauzon.
“Lauzon’s, there aren’t any egos. Everyone wants to help everyone out,” he said. “Joe has been open arms since I came into that gym. Lauzon will take on a mentor role, a coaching role a teammate role.”
Joe Lauzon, a legend in the UFC, is fighting on the same night as Costa at UFC Boston. Costa believes his coach and mentor has similar style when it comes to respect and the way to look at a fight.
“He’s a mentor, he’s a coach and a great training partner. He has been raw from the beginning. He’s respectful to his opponents and that is what I do, I just look to have fun. I have nothing malicious to say.”
Costa looks back at his first UFC fight and can only think of positives. Although a losing effort, Costa in a way proved the UFC matchmakers right in the sense that this is exactly where he belongs.
“I was a unicorn coming into that fight. No one knew a thing about me, knew I liked high kicks and had a killer hook, and a fun walk out. In that fight at one point there were six Brandon Davis’s. It was the first time I was hit.”
When asked what his good friend Carrier would say to him today, in the lead up to his second UFC fight, well it would be exactly what you’d expect of two best friends.
“I told you, should have sacked up earlier,” quipped Costa. “It wouldn’t be a congratulations or a good luck, but Friday win or lose I’m going to be happy and be able to say, we made it.”
Watch the full UFC Boston media day press scrum with Randy Costa above! UFC Boston (UFC on ESPN 6) takes place Friday, October 18 at the TD Garden in Boston, MA.
