Getty Robert Whittaker
Former UFC middleweight champion Robert Whittaker reacted to the news that he would no longer be fighting Paulo Costa at UFC 284 in February. And “The Reaper” is disappointed, to say the least.
ESPN’s Brett Okamoto broke the news on Monday that the 185-pound contest, which was set as a featured bout on the February 11 card in Perth, Australia, had been nixed by the promotion.
“No troll job,” Okamoto wrote on Instagram. “Paulo Costa and Robert Whittaker will NOT fight at UFC 284 in February, per sources. Costa has said publicly he’s on the final fight of his deal and discussed a new contract with the UFC, but nothing’s been agreed to. In any event, he will not fight in Perth. Sources say that at the moment, Robert Whittaker will most likely move to a later date.”
The news came after weeks of Costa speaking openly about the state of his UFC contract, which he says only has one remaining fight left on it, and that he wants to earn a bigger paycheck for stepping inside the Octagon to face the middleweight elite.
Both Costa and Whittaker confirmed the news that the bout was off. Whittaker did so by posting a video on Twitter explaining his take on the whole situation.
“I’m sure you’ve seen the media and the rumors going around about the Perth card, and it’s very upsetting to say they’re true,” Whittaker said. “The fight with Costa has fallen apart. UFC tried everything in their power to get him to the fight. They gave him the new contract, from what I understand, to take the fight and he still didn’t take the fight. So yeah, the Perth fight is not happening.”
An ‘Upset’ Whittaker Was ‘Deep’ Into His Training Camp, UFC Planning to Reschedule Him in March or April
The Reaper then said that the UFC was planning to reschedule him for March or April. It’s unclear who the Australian’s next opponent would be considering the up-in-the-air status of Costa. “I’m upset,” Whittaker continued.
“I was prepared to train through Christmas, to train through New Year’s, to put in the work. We were already so deep into my camp. Everyone knows that I train … My camps are quite long. I’m already so deep into my camp and work and I wanted to take the family out. I wanted to go on holiday after the fight. I wanted to buy the kids some new toys, earn some money, you know, pay the rent. Yeah, all that is put on the back burner for now. All of that has been pushed back and it’s upsetting for me.”
Whittaker Is Still Ranked No. 2 in the Division, Knocking on the Door of a Title Shot
The Reaper got back into the win column in September when he bested Marvin Vettori via unanimous decision at UFC Paris. It was his first contest since his failed effort at regaining his middleweight strap against Israel Adesanya in February. They fought to a razor-close decision in which Adesanya edged.
Whittaker is currently ranked No. 2 behind Adesanya and champion Alex Pereira. And if he earns one more victory, the ex-champ’s title claim may be hard to deny. Further, if Adesanya isn’t ready to rematch Pereira, the UFC could decide to slot Whittaker in against the hard-hitting Brazilian champion.