Robert Whittaker (24-7) is the betting favorite to win the UFC 298 co-main event against Paulo Costa (14-2). However, Borrachinha looks exactly like the kind of fighter who could beat Whittaker. To see whether to bet on an upset happening on February 17, keep reading this Whittaker vs. Costa prediction!
Before Betting on Whittaker vs. Costa UFC 298 Fight
Robert Whittaker has a much more impressive fighting pedigree than Paulo Costa. The New Zealander is a former UFC Middleweight Champion who’s defeated some real legends of the 185-pound division, including Yoel Romero, Jared Cannonier, and Marvin Vettori.
When it comes to his losses, most of them happened to elite middleweight, most notably, Israel Adesanya (twice) and Dricus du Plessis. The bad news for Whittaker is that Paulo Costa’s fighting style isn’t too dissimilar to the style of those two.
Costa lands 6.50 significant strikes a minute, which is almost exactly as du Plessis, and more than twice as many as Adesanya. He also has a better takedown defense than both of those guys.
Costa’s only major weakness is that he gets hit a lot of times. In fact, he absorbs 6.38 significant strikes per minute, which is one of the worst numbers in the division. He gets hit a lot, but this guy is so tough that he’s only lost one fight by TKO so far – vs. Adesanya in the UFC Middleweight Championship fight.
Whittaker vs. Costa UFC 298 Offshore Odds & Pick
| Offshore Sportsbook | Robert Whittaker | Paulo Costa |
|---|---|---|
| BetOnline | -210 | +180 |
| MyBookie | -210 | +155 |
| BetUS | -190 | +160 |
| SportsBetting.ag | -210 | +180 |
| XBet | -210 | +155 |
We think that the only major reason why Costa is the underdog is that he hasn’t fought in nearly two years. However, he looks ripped in the photos and videos he’s been sharing on social media. That’s good enough for us to put our money on the guy.
Pick: Paulo Costa (+180)
