Robert Whittaker vows to ‘Hurt’ Paulo Costa at UFC 298: ‘I’m coming into this fight hungrier than ever’
Ex-middleweight champion, Robert Whittaker may have had his suspicions that his announced UFC 298 clash with former title challenger, Paulo Costa may actually take place this time around following a February fall out last year. However, with pen now put to paper on a deal, the Australian has vowed to “hurt” Costa in their re-worked clash later this month.
Whittaker, the current number three ranked middleweight contender, has been sidelined from the Octagon since he featured on the main card of UFC 290 back in July during International Fight Week.
Suffering his first divisional loss at 185 pounds outside of his pair of defeats to former two-time titleholder, Israel Adesanya, Whittaker was stopped in the second round by newly-minted champion, Dricus du Plessis, with the South African turning in a blistering TKO in the pair’s officially-billed title eliminator.
Booking his return to the Octagon later this month on the main card of UFC 298, Whittaker takes on former title chaser, Costa in a return to Anaheim, attempting to work his way back to a potential rematch with the above-mentioned Pretoria native, du Plessis.
Robert Whittaker promises to “hurt” Paulo Costa at UFC 298
And now with assurances his fight with Costa will take place following a failed targeted clash back in February of last year on home-soil, Whittaker claims he’s hungry for success against the Brazilian – whom he vows to “hurt” en route to a win at UFC 298.
“I’m coming into this fight [at UFC 298] hungrier than ever,” Robert Whittaker assembled media during a press conference in Syndey ahead of UFC 298.. “I’ve been really focusing on bringing that animal back. I’m not just in it – this fight, to win. I’m in it to hurt (Paulo) Costa. And I think that mentality is a powerful thing to have.”
Who wins between Robert Whittaker and Paulo Costa at UFC 298 this month?
