Robert Whittaker vs. Paulo Costa slated for UFC 284 in Perth

Robert Whittaker, a former welterweight champion of the UFC, revealed his upcoming opponent in a social media post. It claims that on February 12 in Perth, Australia, the former middleweight champion will face former title challenger Paulo Costa in a UFC 284 pay-per-view event.

Since the UFC hasn't organized an event in Australia since before the COVID-19 outbreak, UFC 284 will be the organization's first visit there in more than three years. Israel Adesanya and Robert Whittaker squared off in the main event of the UFC's last Australian event, UFC 243. Whittaker entered as the champion and had the support of the home audience, but he was unable to retain his title as Adesanya won with a knockout in the second round.

At 185 pounds, a fighter hasn't had much success defeating Robert Whittaker unless their name is Israel Adesanya. Whittaker defeated fighters like Darren Till, Jared Cannonier, and Kelvin Gastelum after losing his belt to Izzy in 2019 before getting the chance to reclaim the UFC championship. In their rematch, he lost by decision to Adesanya, but he quickly got back on track by defeating Marvin Vettori by a majority decision at the UFC Paris event last month. All indications are that "Bobby Knuckles" is still at his best.

Paulo Costa, who has a record of 14-2 in mixed martial arts, recently defeated former middleweight champion Luke Rockhold via unanimous decision. The victory ended "Borrachinha's" two-fight losing streak, which included losses to Israel Adesanya and Marvin Vettori. Costa has been targeting Khamzat Chimaev lately, but it appears that he will have to change his attention to a great chance in a former champion nicknamed "The Reaper."

At the RAC Arena, UFC 284 will be staged. There have not yet been any further fights added to the schedule, and the PPV's prospective headliner has not yet been revealed. But when the UFC makes its return "Down Under" in 2023, local fans can be sure they should be in for at least one of Australia's standout players.