UFC 298 will see Robert Whittaker returning to the cage for the first time since his defeat against the current middleweight champion, Dricus Du Plessis, back at UFC 290. In his comeback fight, he is facing the Brazilian powerhouse Paulo Costa. Both fighters are former title challengers and among the elites of the division. That being said, Whitaker thinks the UFC has a ‘Plan B’ in case Costa pulls out again.

Days before the fight, the former middleweight champion of the UFC discussed the possibility of a new opponent and his opinions on the same during an interview. Let’s see what ‘The Reaper’ had to say.

Is Robert Whittaker ready for a Costa pull-out?

This is not the first time the UFC tried to make Robert Whittaker vs. Paulo Costa. The pair were supposed to trade leather back in April 2021 but Costa pulled out after a flu affected his preparation. The promotion then tried to pit them against each other in early 2023 for UFC 284, on Whittaker’s home turf. But the fight fell through owing to the contractual disputes between Costa and the UFC.

This time around, during the training camp, Whittaker revealed he trained keeping in mind he was facing Costa. That being said, he is not concerned if Costa has signed the fight contract or will pull out. He is ready to fight on UFC 298 against Costa or anybody else. However, according to him, what ignited a fire between him to compete was the offer to fight Costa.

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Reflecting on the same, he said, “They have got Plan B. I don’t know what means. I assume I don’t know what that is but I’m preparing for Paulo like the whole Camp has been about driving towards, you know, smashing him, and yeah, honestly, I haven’t even thought about it. People have asked, ‘Has he signed the contract?'” He added, “I don’t care about the contract, mate. Like, I don’t care about any of it. As soon as they said, ‘Do you want to fight Paulo?’ I said yes, and I was switched on.”

It is safe to say that Whittaker is eager to compete against Costa but at the same time is not bothered about his pull-out. However, with just days left for the bout, what does a win over Costa mean for the former UFC middleweight champion?

Whittaker weighs in on his possibilities after fighting Costa

The former champion is eager to get a shot at the title again. However, one would argue that he might have to fight a couple of more times before he tries his luck to be a world champion again. In that case, a win against Costa opens up the possibility of a trilogy match with his rival, Israel Adesanya. However, he is not focused on that and does not want his mind diverted.

In an interview, he said, “There’s a good rivalry [with Adesanya] there, but there’s no bad blood. Honestly, I’m just focusing on beating Costa. I beat Costa, honestly, the world is my oyster I kind of thing and [then I] can kind of go any which way. So my focus is on just coming back to form, beat Costa, and then I’ll have a look at things.”

Watch This Story: Dricus du Plessis Claps Back at Israel Adesanya With a Grim 5-Word Message Days After the Middleweight Champ Picked Him to Win Against Robert Whittaker

Indeed, it appears he is locked in for his upcoming fight and will most likely bring his A-game. These comments only add fuel to the fire for this match-up, so let’s sit back and watch who wins this bout and how the cards unfold.

Concerning Details on UFC 298 Robert Whittaker vs. Paulo Costa Could Put Co-Main in Serious Trouble Is What This MMA Veteran Claims