UFC 298 Results: Robert Whittaker Survives Early Scare To Defeat Paulo Costa
Former middleweight champion Robert Whittaker and Paulo Costa collided in the co-headliner for UFC 298.
Before Alexander Volkanovski and Ilia Topuria entered the Octagon, Whittaker and Costa clashed inside the Honda Center in Anaheim, California on Saturday night. It was Whittaker's first fight since his second-round TKO loss to the current UFC middleweight champion Dricus Du Plessis last year. Costa missed all of 2023. and hadn't competed since August 2022.
The dust has settled, and in the end it was Robert Whittaker who emerged victorious.
Whittaker landed some leg kicks early on. Costa went high with two head kicks. A stiff jab landed for Whittaker. A welt was forming on "Borrachinha's" left leg. Whittaker landed a counter punch followed by a jab. A right hand landed for "The Reaper."
Late in the opening frame, Costa landed a spinning heel kick that wobbled Whittaker. "The Reaper" may have been saved by the horn.
Whittaker then started picking up the pace as Costa slowed down a bit. "Borrachinha" was still dangerous throughout the fight, but Whittaker did enough to take a unanimous decision win.
With the win, Whittaker improves his pro MMA record to 25-7. The former middleweight ruler will be holding onto his number three spot on the official UFC 185-pound rankings.
As for the number six-ranked Costa, he put forth a solid effort against "The Reaper." While it's another bump in the road on his quest for UFC gold, "Borrachinha" figures to be in for a solid opponent in his next outing.
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