Former middleweight champion Robert Whittaker is confident that Paulo Costa will fight him at UFC 298.
Whittaker (24-7 MMA, 15-5 UFC) takes on Costa (14-2 MMA, 6-2 UFC) in the Feb. 17 co-main event at Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif. Costa has had five fights canceled or rebooked in the past couple of years – including against Whittaker at UFC 284, when the fight fell through due to Costa failing to come to terms on a new deal.
Despite Costa’s inactivity, Whittaker remains unfazed.
“Not really,” Whittaker said on “The MMA Hour.” “It’s always so funny with contracts and contract signing. I didn’t even realize that was a thing? ‘I haven’t signed’ or whatever. UFC comes here and they say, ‘Hey, do you want to fight X on this date?’ And I say yes, right? When I say I’m in for something, that’s it, I’m down. Doesn’t matter whether I sign the contract today or sign it two days before the fight, I said I’ll be there, that’s what I’m doing.
“Whether or not I was worried about it actually falling through, not really. Like other times, I would fight someone. UFC would get me to fight someone. And I think it’s a good fight for him, I think it’s a good fight for me, we’re both high-level middleweights, we’re both trying to work our way back to the top of the food chain. I don’t see any reason for him not to.”
Costa hasn’t competed since outlasting Luke Rockhold in a Fight of the Night battle at UFC 278 in August 2022. He was booked to face Khamzat Chimaev this past October at UFC 294 before a severe case of staph infection in his elbow forced him out of the bout.
The former title challenger assured his fans that he will make it to UFC 298.
I have a message for you all mtfks pic.twitter.com/hZ09P80hOB
— Paulo Costa ( Borrachinha ) (@BorrachinhaMMA) January 30, 2024
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 298.
Robert Whittaker ‘not really’ worried about Paulo Costa pulling out of UFC 298
