Robert Whittaker powered through a monstrous Paulo Costa spinning kick last night (Sat., Feb. 17, 2024) at UFC 298 live on ESPN+ PPV from inside Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif., to earn a hard-fought win in the co-main event.
Whittaker took an early lead with whipping lead leg kicks that started to slow Costa. The Brazilian responded with good work to the body and a wild spinning heel kick that landed flush and nearly put Whittaker away. Whittaker returned the favor in the second with more leg kicks. Costa did his work with a stiff jab that started to bloody Whittaker’s face.
Whittaker seemed to slow down in the third round which allowed Costa to get a little more offense off. He still wasn’t able to land the killing blow, but “Eraser” was still moving and threatening the former champion with good offense.
In the end, it was Whittaker who did enough on the judges’ scorecards to earn the unanimous decision win. He returns to the win column after a recent TKO loss to Dricus du Plessis in July 2023.
Check out the official Whittaker vs. Costa scorecard below along with Costa’s wild spinning kick from Round 1:
PAULO COSTA AT THE END OF THE FIRST OMG #UFC298 pic.twitter.com/9rtiaZOWC6
— Spinnin Backfist (@SpinninBackfist) February 18, 2024
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For complete UFC 298 results, coverage, and highlights, click HERE.