Robert Whittaker vs. Paulo Costa added to UFC 284
A highly-intriguing middleweight bout featuring Robert Whittaker vs. Paulo Costa has been added to the upcoming UFC 284 pay-per-view card.
Whittaker himself announced the matchup on Thursday via his social media. The bout will take place at UFC 284, which is set for February 12 at RAC Arena in Perth, Australia.
Once more into the fray. #UFCPerth #UFC284 #ReaperNation @ufc @UFC_AUSNZ pic.twitter.com/qC8AEtcCEo
— Robert Whittaker (@robwhittakermma) October 20, 2022
Once more into the fray. #UFCPerth #UFC284 #ReaperNation @ufc @UFC_AUSNZ
Whittaker (24-6) is the No. 1 contender in the UFC middleweight division. The 31-year-old Aussie is the former UFC middleweight champion and he remains one of the top fighters in the weight class to this day. In Whittaker’s last bout, he defeated Marvin Vettori via unanimous decision. Overall, he has won four of his last five fights, with his lone loss in that time coming to UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya. In fact, Adesanya is the only fighter who Whittaker has lost to at 185lbs, twice in fact. Otherwise, Whittaker is a perfect 12-0 in the UFC middleweight division against fighters not named Adesanya. Overall, he is one of the best fighters in his weight class and has been for several years now.
Costa (14-2) is the No. 6 contender in the UFC middleweight division. The 31-year-old Brazilian is coming off of a decision win over Luke Rockhold in his last fight to bounce back following back-to-back losses to the aforementioned Adesanya and Vettori. He is one of the top fighters in the weight class as well, and he could jump right back into title contention with a big victory over a top contender like Whittaker. On paper, this should be a fantastic fight for the fans to watch between two elite 185lbers.
Look for Whittaker to open up as the betting favorite for this fight, although the odds will be competitive given both men have the ability to win this fight.
Who do you think wins at UFC 284, Robert Whittaker or Paulo Costa?
