"It's a bit of a slap in the face" - Robert Whittaker on Paulo Costa failing to make weight against Marvin Vettori

Paulo Costa (left), Robert Whittaker (right) [Credits: Getty]

Robert Whittaker shared his thoughts on Paulo Costa missing weight in his last fight against Marvin Vettori. The bout took place at UFC Fight Night 196 at the Apex facility in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Whittaker expressed his disgust towards Costa's antics and said the failure to make weight did not make any sense.

Speaking to Full Mount MMA, 'The Reaper' said:

"Not that I'm tough on him, he's a grown-a** man, we're all professionals in the sport. You sign the contract to fight at 185 and you are nowhere near it, it's a bit of a slap in the face. It's like an electrician going in but forgetting the wires, it doesn't make sense."

Watch the full video below:

Days prior to UFC Fight Night 196, Costa revealed he was massively overweight for his main event showdown against the Italian. The pair were initially supposed to face off at middleweight.

Shortly afterwards, it was confirmed that Costa and Vettori would meet at catchweight (195 lbs). However, the Brazilian couldn't make that weight either, forcing the UFC's hand to move the bout to light heavyweight.

Dana White wants Paulo Costa to move on from middleweight ⚖️ #UFCVegas41

(via @bokamotoESPN) https://t.co/Hw4kiY8te4

Marvin Vettori, after adjusting to all the adversities, got the last laugh as he defeated a massive-looking Costa via a unanimous decision.

Robert Whittaker thinks 'he's just better' than Paulo Costa

Robert Whittaker is yet to face Paulo Costa inside the octagon. However, he gave his honest opinion on his fellow middleweight and analyzed how a potential fight between them would go.

During an interview with Submission Radio last year, Robert Whittaker gave props to Paulo Costa for being a dangerous fighter and a game opponent. Having said that, the Australian stated that he'd 'dismantle' Paulo Costa in an MMA fight if they face each other in the near future.

"I think he is a very dangerous fight, I think he is a very dangerous opponent. He had a bad fight the last time, Izzy fought really well but otherwise, he's been quite devastating to his opponents. But I think I'm better, I just think I'm better. I think I could have dismantled him but we won't find out now," said Whittaker.

Watch Whittaker discuss a potential fight with Costa in the video below:

While Costa is coming off a loss against Vettori, Robert Whittaker will look to snatch the middleweight title back from Israel Adesanya at UFC 271. Whether Costa and Whittaker will cross paths in the future is a question that, at the moment, can't be answered presently.