Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
USA Today Sports Media Group
USA Today Sports Media Group
Sport
Nolan King

Paulo Costa thought he was winning at UFC 298, promises to ‘pressure even more’ next time

Paulo Costa came up short at UFC 298, but he didn’t feel like that was the case until Bruce Buffer read the official decision.

While Saturday’s co-main event was exciting, Costa (14-3 MMA, 6-3 UFC) lost a unanimous decision to Robert Whittaker (25-7 MMA, 16-5 UFC) at Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif.

Shortly after the loss, Costa released two statements, one in English and one in Portuguese, on social media. While the statements were similar, the Portguese one was slightly more comprehensive.

“Good to be back in the octagon!” Costa wrote in Portuguese. “It feels good to feel this wonderful energy from all of you cheering me on! Glad I delivered the show you guys wanted! During the fight I felt like I was winning but the judges disagreed and they didn’t see that, anyway I will have to impose myself more in the sense of not leaving the judges’ decision the next ones. Thank you very much! I’m sorry.”

Costa, 32, fell to 1-3 in his most recent four fights as a result of Saturday’s loss. A fan favorite, Costa has largely been competitive inside the cage regardless of opponent, but has struggled to compete on a consistent basis. UFC 298 was only Costa’s fourth fight since September 2020.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 298.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.