ANAHEIM, Calif. – Robert Whittaker is back on the winning track and hopes consistency follows.
In the UFC 298 co-main event Saturday at Honda Center, Whittaker (25-7 MMA, 16-5 UFC) defeated Paulo Costa (14-3 MMA, 6-3 UFC) by unanimous decision in a thrilling striking battle.
“Obviously, I’m very happy with (my performance),” Whittaker told MMA Junkie and other reporters at a post-fight news conference. “I always look like this after fights. It shows. Plus, I had a firefight with Costa, so it shows a little bit (more). More than the win itself, I’m satisfied with what I wanted to achieve. I achieved that.”
Whittaker, 33, bounced back from a TKO defeat against Dricus Du Plessis in July. Now that the ball is rolling, Whittaker eyes a mid-2024 return with a third outing in the later half of 2024.
But against whom? Sean Strickland? Khamzat Chimaev?
“Options are definitely open,” Whittaker said. “The middleweight division is funny. There’s so much movement and fluidity and opportunity in it that any fight could be made in it at any time, anywhere. Honestly, the UFC has always done right by me. I’ve never had to pick my opponents. They’ve always been laid out in front of me. I’m not about to change the way I conduct business right now.”
In the seconds that followed his UFC 298 win, fans and media members alike pitched the idea of Whittaker against Strickland (28-6 MMA, 15-6 UFC), who lost the middleweight title in January and is not currently booked.
Should they fight, Whittaker will stick to focusing on Strickland’s in-cage abilities, not his verbal antics.
“He’s not that bad,” Whittaker said. “He’s kind of holistically angry at everybody. I don’t think he singles anybody out unless you do something to him particularly. I feel like it would be hard for him to get a grip on something I’ve done, but there’s trying.”
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 298.
