Key stats: 6.49 strikes per minute (1st all-time among MWs), 59.4% significant strike accuracy (3rd all-time among MWs), 0.99 knockdowns per 15 minutes (3rd)
What this means: “The Eraser” is an all-action battle tank. The Brazilian advances, stays facing his opponent and presses the action, almost asking for a fight. But Costa isn’t just about headhunting. When locked in, Costa uses his footwork to keep his opponent along the fence, and he will dig into his foe’s body with punches and kicks. Much of Costa’s best work is done when he is not looking for the one shot, but rather when he uses a high pace to melt his opponent.
UFC 298 Full Fight Card Preview
What to look for in combat: Typically, Costa will always start the fight by moving forward and entering the opposition’s gridiron. Whittaker has the lateral movement and speed to break away, get back to the center and find success from the outside, but that doesn’t mean the former champion won’t stand his ground and take on his opponent. That said, Whittaker has a better-tested wrestling game that he can use to stifle Costa’s pressure, and that adds to his striking game as well. Whittaker showed a little more consistency late in the fight, but given Costa’s two years out of the Octagon, it’s not clear he will feel an impact in the latter stages of the fight.
Other fights to watch (Geoff Neal vs. Ian Machado Garry, Merab Dvalishvili vs. Henry Cejudo)
Geoff Neal
