Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Middleweight contenders Robert Whittaker and Paulo Costa will collide this weekend (Sat., Feb. 17, 2024) at UFC 298 inside Honda Center in Anaheim, California.
It’s now been more than four years since Whittaker coughed up his title to Israel Adesanya. In that span since, Whittaker has largely demolished every other would-be contender he’s fought, earning a second showdown vs. “Stylebender” that resulted in an exceedingly close decision. However, that trend may be changing, as Dricus Du Plessis bulldozed Whittaker in his most recent appearance (watch highlights), leaving a lot of questions about where the Australian stands in 2024. Meanwhile, barring another a last-second mishap, Costa is set to return to the cage for the first time since Aug. 2022. From 2018-2022, Costa fought just once each year — a huge bummer. The Brazilian is a ton of fun to watch, so his presence at 185 pounds has been missed. Hopefully, that lucrative new contract will prevent further controversy and see Costa make his way to the cage more often.
Let’s take a closer look at the keys to victory for each man:
Robert Whittaker
Record: 24-7
Key Wins: Yoel Romero (UFC 225, UFC 213), Marvin Vettori (UFC Paris), Darren Till (UFC on ESPN 14), Jared Cannonier (UFC 254), Kelvin Gastelum (UFC Vegas 24), Ronaldo Souza (UFC on FOX 24), Derek Brunson (UFC Fight Night 101)
Key Losses: Israel Adesanya (UFC 271, UFC 243), Dricus Du Plessis (UFC 290), Stephen Thompson (UFC 170)
Keys to Victory: Whittaker may not have the longest title reign in UFC history, but the man has defeated a lot more Top 10-ranked contenders than many other champions. Combining a blitzing kickboxing game with ironclad takedown defense and absolute grit, Whittaker has carved himself a position in Middleweight history.
The goal here is to get back in the win column and prove he’s still adding to his legacy.
Costa is a bruiser, a man who likes to bully his opponents to the fence and work the body. He doesn’t fight much like Du Plessis in terms of shot selection, but there are some comparisons to be made in terms of overall approach to breaking opponents. That didn’t play out well for Whittaker last time, so here’s a chance to demonstrate his improvement.
Whittaker has to earn Costa’s respect. Ideally, he’ll land a hard blitz early that forces Costa to hesitate a bit, but if that doesn’t happen, Whittaker has to stand his ground more often with hard counter punches. If he can back Costa off a bit and earn himself time to breathe, Whittaker is the sharper range kickboxer. Reactive takedowns could work as well, but given Costa is very physically strong and difficult to hold down, Whittaker has to be wary of exhausting his own gas tank wrestling.
Paulo Costa
Record: 14-2
Key Wins: Yoel Romero (UFC 241), Luke Rockhold (UFC 278), Uriah Hall (UFC 226), Johny Hendricks (UFC 217)
Key Losses: Israel Adesanya (UFC 253), Marvin Vettori (UFC Vegas 41)
Keys to Victory: Costa is a fighter who breaks his opposition. Pace, pressure and an unusual willingness to attack the body make Costa the fighter that he is, as well as producing his 11 victories via knockout.
Costa’s ring-cutting will be tested here. At distance in the open, Costa is likely to struggle with Whittaker’s speedy, in-and-out offense, and general movement. If he can get Whittaker’s back to the fence, however, the situation changes. Suddenly, Costa’s strength and combination punching become more important, and he can start to wear down the Australian.
Historically, Costa has a great right high and body kick. In this fight, I’d like to see him targeting the lead leg and body. Low kicks are a proven issue for Whittaker, while body kicks can help prevent “The Reaper” from circling away from Costa by pinning him in place.
Bottom Line
We’ve been talking about this match up for YEARS!
Whittaker, somehow, is still just 33 years old. Getting stopped by Du Plessis was certainly a major setback, but that doesn’t mean his dreams of returning to the belt are foiled. If the Australian is victorious here, it’s a strong argument that Whittaker is still at his best and able to contend for gold in the near future.
As for Costa, the Brazilian has to get active if he’s going to make an impact on the Middleweight division. Defeating Whittaker here would be the best win of his career, and “Borrachinha” is only 32 years old himself. Victory could lead him to a title eliminator versus Khamzat Chimaev or maybe even a title shot if “Stylebender” remains on the sidelines.
Who wouldn’t want to watch DDP vs. Costa? Pure fireworks! A win this weekend makes it possible, though still far from guaranteed.
At UFC 298, Robert Whittaker and Paulo Costa will throw down in the co-main event. Which man has his hand raised?
Remember that MMAmania.com will deliver LIVE round-by-round, blow-by-blow coverage of the entire UFC 298 fight card right here, starting with the early ESPN+ “Prelims” matches online, which are scheduled to begin at 6:30 p.m. ET (simulcast on ESPN at 8 p.m. ET), before the pay-per-view (PPV) main card start time at 10 p.m. ET (also on ESPN+).
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