IRVINE, Calif. – Paulo Costa is one win away from challenging for UFC gold – at least in his eyes.
At a UFC 298 pre-fight news conference Wednesday, Costa (14-2 MMA, 6-2 UFC) voiced confidence in his proximity to a middleweight title shot should he defeat Robert Whittaker (24-7 MMA, 15-5 UFC) on Saturday at Honda Center.
“After my fight against Whittaker, for sure,” Costa told reporters including MMA Junkie. “I don’t see another way different than going straight for the belt after I beat Whittaker on Saturday. I have no other way to go. I think after (I) beat him, when you look at the whole division, you have a couple of guys who fight the way that people want to see, that people like to see the fights going on. It’s me. Beating him, I’ll be the next in the line.”
