Ultimate Fighting Calendar
UFCUFC 298: Volkanovski vs Topuria
Middleweight3 rounds scheduled
WIN
Robert Whittaker
Robert Whittaker
“The Reaper”
28-9-0
RESULT

Robert Whittaker def. Paulo Costa (Unanimous Decision)

Unanimous Decision · Round 3 · 5:00
Paulo Costa
BrazilPaulo Costa
“The Eraser”
16-4-0
Saturday, February 17, 2024
Honda Center, Anaheim, United States

Robert Whittaker defeated Paulo Costa by Unanimous Decision in round 3 (5:00) in the Middleweight bout of UFC 298: Volkanovski vs Topuria, held Saturday, February 17, 2024 at Honda Center, Anaheim.

Fight stats

Robert Whittaker
Paulo Costa
0
Knockdowns
0
95 of 175
Significant strikes
67 of 151
54%
Sig. strike accuracy
44%
95 of 175
Total strikes
67 of 151
0 of 1
Takedowns
0 of 0
0%
Takedown accuracy
—
0
Submission attempts
0
0
Reversals
0
0:00
Control time
0:00
Significant strikes by target
63 of 143
Head
39 of 117
4 of 4
Body
8 of 12
28 of 28
Leg
20 of 22
95 of 172
Distance
67 of 151
0 of 3
Clinch
0 of 0
0 of 0
Ground
0 of 0

By round

ROUND 1
0
KD
0
38 of 62
Sig. str.
27 of 49
38 of 62
Total str.
27 of 49
0 of 0
Takedowns
0 of 0
0
Sub. att
0
0:00
Ctrl
0:00
ROUND 2
0
KD
0
32 of 55
Sig. str.
26 of 54
32 of 55
Total str.
26 of 54
0 of 0
Takedowns
0 of 0
0
Sub. att
0
0:00
Ctrl
0:00
ROUND 3
0
KD
0
25 of 58
Sig. str.
14 of 48
25 of 58
Total str.
14 of 48
0 of 1
Takedowns
0 of 0
0
Sub. att
0
0:00
Ctrl
0:00

Judges' Scorecards

Michael Bell
#WhittakerCosta
1109
2109
3109
Total3027
Eliot Kelly
#WhittakerCosta
1910
2109
3109
Total2928
Ron McCarthy
#WhittakerCosta
1910
2109
3109
Total2928

Media Scores

27
Whittaker
–
2
Costa
●29–28 Whittaker×26●29–28 Costa×2●30–27 Whittaker
All 29 media scorecards▾

Fan Scorecards

85%
Whittaker
1%
Draw
13%
Costa
560 fan scorecards submitted
●29–28 Whittaker58%●30–27 Whittaker25%●29–28 Costa12%●30–28 Whittaker1.6%
Fans' round-by-round verdict
R1
70%
Costa
R2
93%
Whittaker
R3
88%
Whittaker

Scorecard data via mmadecisions.com

Frequently asked questions

Who won Robert Whittaker vs Paulo Costa?

Robert Whittaker defeated Paulo Costa by Unanimous Decision in round 3 (5:00) in the Middleweight bout of UFC 298: Volkanovski vs Topuria, held Saturday, February 17, 2024 at Honda Center, Anaheim.

What were the judges' scorecards for Robert Whittaker vs Paulo Costa?

The judges scored it 30–27, 29–28, 29–28 — Robert Whittaker won the decision.

Referee
Mike Beltran
Time format
3 Rnd (5-5-5)
Pre-fight comparison▾

Win probability

Robert Whittaker 57%43% Paulo Costa

What the model gave each fighter going into the fight, from their pre-fight UFCal Elo ratings. See all Elo ratings

Tale of the Tape

28-9-0
Record
16-4-0
1679
Elo rating
1632
1
Win Streak
2
35
Age
35
6'0"
183 cm
Height
6'1"
185 cm
73"
185 cm
Reach
72"
183 cm
Orthodox
Stance
Orthodox
Middleweight
Weight Class
Middleweight
Australia / New Zealand
Nationality
Brazil

Striking Profile

4.41
SLpM
6.15
43%
Str. Acc.
59%
3.40
SApM
5.96
59%
Str. Def.
49%

Grappling Profile

0.71
TD Avg.
0.30
38%
TD Acc.
42%
80%
TD Def.
77%
0.00
Sub. Avg.
0.00

Recent form (last 5 fights)

Robert Whittaker · 3-2
  • W
    Nikita Krylov
    UFC 329: McGregor vs Holloway 2Sat, Jul 11, 2026
    TKO · R3 · 1:01 · Light Heavyweight
  • L
    Reinier de Ridder
    UFC Fight Night: Whittaker vs De RidderSat, Jul 26, 2025
    Split Decision · R5 · 5:00 · Middleweight
  • L
    Khamzat Chimaev
    UFC 308: Topuria vs HollowaySat, Oct 26, 2024
    Submission · R1 · 3:34 · Middleweight
  • W
    Ikram Aliskerov
    UFC Saudi ArabiaSat, Jun 22, 2024
    TKO · R1 · 1:49 · Middleweight
  • W
    Paulo Costa
    UFC 298: Volkanovski vs TopuriaSat, Feb 17, 2024
    Unanimous Decision · R3 · 5:00 · Middleweight
Paulo Costa · 3-2
  • W
    Azamat Murzakanov
    UFC 327: Procházka vs UlbergSat, Apr 11, 2026
    TKO · R3 · 1:23 · Light Heavyweight
  • W
    Roman Kopylov
    UFC 318: Holloway vs Poirier 3Sat, Jul 19, 2025
    Unanimous Decision · R3 · 5:00 · Middleweight
  • L
    Sean Strickland
    UFC 302: Makhachev vs PoirierSat, Jun 1, 2024
    Split Decision · R5 · 5:00 · Middleweight
  • L
    Robert Whittaker
    UFC 298: Volkanovski vs TopuriaSat, Feb 17, 2024
    Unanimous Decision · R3 · 5:00 · Middleweight
  • W
    Luke Rockhold
    UFC 278: Usman vs Edwards 2Sat, Aug 20, 2022
    Unanimous Decision · R3 · 5:00 · Middleweight

Career Averages

Based on 25 fights · 12 fights
59.6
Avg sig. strikes
77.8
0.64
Avg takedowns
0.25
1:04
Avg control time
0:42
150
Career high strikes
163
4
Career high TDs
2

Strike Distribution

Robert Whittaker
Strike target
Paulo Costa
72%
Head
45%
10%
Body
41%
18%
Leg
14%
Robert Whittaker
Strike position
Paulo Costa
87%
Distance
88%
7%
Clinch
5%
7%
Ground
6%