"I hope he doesn't change divisions" - Paulo Costa claims he will "knockout" Robert Whittaker
Paulo Costa has his eyes fixed on Robert Whittaker, who dominated Marvin Vettori in the co-main event of UFC Paris.
Whittaker rebounded from his loss to champion Israel Adesanya with a decisive victory over his fellow top contender. With his recent win, Australia's 'The Reaper' cemented his status as one of the best 185-pounders, only behind the champion.
See the tweet below:
πΏππ π½πππππ reigns supreme! #UFCParis https://t.co/9HDMNRT1BB
However, there aren't many options for Whittaker as he suffered his second loss against the divisional monarch earlier this year. The only way he can fight for the title soon is if Adesanya drops the belt to Alex Perreira at UFC 281.
As far as Costa is concerned, though, he is the next logical matchup for the former middleweight titleholder. Taking to Twitter after Whittaker's bout at UFC Paris, the Brazilian wrote:
"When I fight Whittaker it won't be by decision, I'll go for the knockout. I hope he doesn't change divisions before then."
Check out Paulo Costa's tweet below:
when I fight whittaker it won't be by decision, I'll go for the knockout. I hope he doesn't change divisions before then.
Whittaker and Costa were booked to fight in the main event of UFC Vegas 24. Unfortunately, 'Borrachinha' was forced to withdraw from the bout due to a "severe" case of the flu that prevented him from preparing adequately, according to multiple reports.
The Australian ended up fighting Kelvin Gastelum that night and outclassed the heavy-handed American to secure a unanimous decision nod and title shot.
"You're a bloody mess, mate" - When Robert Whittaker slammed Paulo Costa
There's no love lost between middleweight stars Robert Whittaker and Paulo Costa.
The Brazilian previously received backlash for his weight mismanagement issues against Marvin Vettori ahead of their UFC Vegas 41 clash. The bout was initially set for middleweight, but ended up being contested at 205 pounds.
Robert Whittaker is not one to talk trash to his rivals. However, the Aussie couldn't let Costa's unprofessionalism slide. During an interview with Fox Sports, Whittaker said:
"You could see he wasnβt going to make it, they made catchweight days prior because they knew he wasnβt going to make it. He didnβt make the catchweight, so they had to bump it up againβ¦ Hats off to Vettori for taking that fight like a stud, keeping the card alive. And Costa, youβre a bloody mess mate."