Robert Whittaker vs Paulo Costa Prediction: Robert Whittaker and Paulo Costa fight for their future prestige

This Sunday at UFC 298, in the Middleweight Division, Robert Whittaker and Paulo Costa will face off in the octagon, aiming to impress fans once again. Scheduled as the co-main event, this match is expected to be highly exciting. It will take place at the Honda Arena in Anaheim, California. Whittaker, a former UFC Middleweight Champion, is favored to win, but recent training videos of Costa show he's in excellent shape. Initially, they were meant to fight at UFC 284 in February 2023, but due to contract issues, it didn't happen. Now, a year later, they're set to compete. Winning this fight is crucial for both fighters: Costa wants to return to action, while Whittaker aims to recover from a recent defeat by the new champion. The stakes are high, with a future title shot on the line.

Robert Whittaker is known for his clever strategies and excellent fight intelligence, making him a tough opponent to beat by knockout. He lost his last match to Dricus Du Plessis by technical knockout in July 2023, a fight that determined who would get a shot at the title. Du Plessis, from South Africa, won that fight with a TKO and later became the champion. Now, Whittaker is looking to make a comeback, but facing Paulo Costa will not be an easy task. Whittaker has been a professional fighter since 2009 and has been competing in the UFC Middleweight Division since 2014. He has faced many top fighters in the 185-pound category, such as Yoel Romero, Israel Adesanya, Jared Cannonier, Marvin Vettori, and Dricus Du Plessis. Whittaker's most effective techniques include his jab, a slip right cross, and a gazelle hook, which involves a feigned level change followed by a leaping lead hook.

In Paulo Costa's most recent fight in the Octagon, he faced Luke Rockhold and won by unanimous decision in the third round. Costa has had one fight in the Light Heavyweight division, which he lost to Marvin Vettori by decision. His only defeat in the Middleweight Division was a TKO by Israel Adesanya during a title bout in 2020. Following these losses, Costa returned to winning by defeating Luke Rockhold by decision in what was Rockhold's last UFC fight in the summer of 2022. This means Costa has not fought in a year and a half. His main challenge in the upcoming fight against Robert Whittaker will be to land hits consistently. Costa primarily relies on his boxing skills to immobilize his opponents and lower their guard, targeting the midsection.

Paulo Costa and Du Plessis are tied for the highest strikes per minute rate in the UFC Middleweight Division, with 6.49. Back in 2019, when Robert Whittaker was the reigning middleweight champion, Costa was on a 13-fight winning streak, having defeated notable fighters like Yoel Romero, Uriah Hall, and Johnny Hendricks. However, his streak ended when he lost a title fight to Whittaker’s successor, Israel Adesanya. Despite the change in championship, Whittaker and Costa were still considered among the top fighters in the 185-pound division, aside from the titleholder. They are similar in height, reach, and age, but Whittaker has significantly more experience. Costa has only fought the full distance in three fights, relying on his confidence and ability to finish opponents quickly.