With potential title implications on the line, the Middleweight Showdown in the co-main event of UFC 298 between “The Reaper” and “Borrachinha” has all the makings of a fight of the night candidate. And while uncertainty may loom over the main event, the portents are clear on this one to deliver fireworks as promised.
To say that Robert Whittaker has been a dominant force in the middleweight division would be an understatement. With over a decade in the UFC, Rob has both won and defended the 185lbs strap. His only losses at middleweight have been to champions Israel Adesanya and Dricus du Plassis. The Australian Blitzer boasts an outstanding skill set – crisp combinations, high fight-IQ and a left head-kick that can make you do the Hakuna-matata. Whittaker’s journey to the top of the division was phenomenal. After moving up from 170lbs, “Bobby Knuckles” went on an 8-fight win-streak of dominance and began ‘reaping the souls’ of killers like Jacare Souza and Yoel Romero on the way to capture the coveted middleweight title. And despite the losses to Izzy, he never dropped out of the title conversation handily beating the likes of Cannonier, Gastelum and Vittori. And so it was destined that he would face the now champion Dricus du Plassis for the Interim strap while Izzy and Alex played ‘lights-out-tag’ with the true middleweight belt. The interim contest didn’t go Rob’s way and “Stillknocks” had him crashing to the canvas after a violent barrage. The Australian now stands 3rd in the rankings with former champs Israel Adesanya and Sean Strickland above him. A title shot is very much within reach but first he needs to slay the brute that stands before him.
Paulo Costa came into the UFC as an undefeated (8-0) phenom from the popular Brazilian promotion – Jungle Fight which launched Brazilian legends like Jose Aldo and sent over future UFC champions including Renan Barao & Charles Olivera. Gotta’ love Wallid Ismail. Costa came into the UFC looking like a character from Mortal Kombat. “The Eraser” as he was known back then proceeded to go on a (5-0) demolition run beating perennial title challenger Yoel Romero in 2019. His first title shot against the incumbent champ Israel Adesanya came a year later at UFC 253 on Fight Island where the now rechristened “Borrachinha” suffered his first loss at the hands of “The Stylebender” in a spectacular TKO finish and post-fight celebration to match.
Costa is (1-1) since then and has also been recovering from an elbow surgery, as he makes his return to the Octagon after 16 months of inactivity against Whittaker. But the Brazilian looks in shape and sharp as ever in training. Could the elixir popularly known as the ‘secret juice’ actually have some regenerative properties from the Brazilian rainforest?
The Middleweight division had been in so much upheaval since Alex Pereira stepped on to the scene, that with him now gone safely to 205lbs, clearer lines to the succession were emerging. But these two juggernauts have the potential to change the landscape of the division once again. And fans can expect nothing less than fireworks between two of the division’s most formidable contenders.
