Robert Whittaker was wobbled and poked in the eye by Paulo Costa, but all of that didn’t stop him from claiming the unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27) win at UFC 298 this Saturday.
Whittaker and Costa fought in the co-main event of the card. The match started in a difficult state for the former middlweight champ. The two initially traded shots and kicks in the cage, giving the audience an action-packed round. However, by the end of the round, the Brazilian managed to wobble the opponent through a spinning heel kick before the bell rang.
The action continued in the second round as the two continued to exchange attacks. However, it was momentarily stopped after Costa accidentally poked Whittaker’s eye. Fortunately, the fight was resumed after some moments, allowing “The Reaper” to avenge and connect repeatedly, including a huge right hand. The round ended with leg kicks from the New Zealand-born Australian fighter.
In the final round, the two made the fight more interesting by trading shots, but Whittaker stole the limelight by registering more impactful hits to the opponent. In the end, the round was dominated by the former champ, who sent more leg kicks and hard jabs before the bell rang.
This gave Whittaker his unanimous decision victory over Costa. It has brought him back to the winning column after being defeated by Dricus Du Plessis, who later snatched the middleweight belt from Sean Strickland.
As for Costa, who took the fight after a year and a half of rest, the loss stopped him from getting the coveted title shot. Prior to the event, the 32-year-old was certain that winning the fight could give him the chance to face Du Plessis and even questioned Khamzat Chimaev’s claim for the shot. Unfortunately, with this defeat, the Brazilian would have to start cementing his record again in order to approach the top of the division.
