Twitter goes ballistic as Robert Whittaker and Paulo Costa battle in 3-round war

Former UFC middleweight champion Robert Whittaker and former title challenger Paulo Costa put on one of the best fights of 2024.

Whittaker and Costa battled in the UFC 298 co-main event in Anaheim. After three rounds of nonstop action, Whittaker walked away with the unanimous decision win, despite Costa having plenty of favorable moments.

Round 1 was largely dominated by Whittaker up until the final minute of the round. Costa caught Whittaker with a perfectly timed head kick that nearly knocked him to the canvas.

Whittaker was able to regain his composure with an impressive Round 2, utilizing leg kicks and a ferocious pace. Round 3 was a back-and-forth five minutes that was a toss-up in many eyes.

Whittaker and Costa, two of the top middleweights in the world, entertained fans with a bloody war at UFC 298. Their UFC fighting colleagues had plenty to say after the fight.

Robert Whittaker outpoints Paulo Costa in UFC 298 instant classic

Here's how UFC fighters reacted to Whittaker vs. Costa.

Whittaker gets back on track after a stunning loss to Dricus du Plessis at UFC 290. Before the loss to du Plessis, Whittaker won a decisive matchup with former title challenger Marvin Vettori.

The former champion Whittaker remains one of the most dangerous fighters in the world after his win over Costa. He's looking to potentially earn another UFC title shot after two championship losses to Israel Adesanya.

This was Costa's first fight since a win over former champion Luke Rockhold at UFC 278. He remains a top contender despite recent losses to Marvin Vettori and Adesanya.

Whittaker's win over Costa sets him up for a potential middleweight title shot for his next UFC outing. Du Plessis claimed the middleweight throne by outpointing Sean Strickland at UFC 297.

Whittaker's statement at UFC 298 proves he's still in his physical prime, and will look to potentially exact revenge against the current UFC middleweight champ.