UFC 284 has suffered a delicate loss as around a month and a half after its announcement, the much awaited Robert Whittaker vs. Paulo Costa clash has been called off from the event.
Brett Okamoto of ESPN reported on Monday that a three-round bout between Robert Whittaker and Paulo Costa will no longer take place at the pay-per-view scheduled for February 11th in Perth, Australia. Okamoto notes that while the UFC had discussions with Costa regarding a more lucrative contract, the two sides did not reach an agreement.
Costa has stated on multiple occasions that he never signed up to fight Whittaker. This is despite the fact that the organization had already made the fight official on its social networks.
ESPN sources believe that Whittaker, the former 185-pound champion, will be removed from the pay-per-view and that his fight with ‘Borrachinha’ will be left pending for a future event.
UFC 284 will be starred by a super-fight between the new Lightweight champion, Islam Makhachev, and the 145-pound boss, Alexander Volkanovski.
I wasn’t bluffing: Paulo Costa reacts to the fight getting called off
Soon after the news of the fight getting called off started to make headlines, Costa took to Twitter to react.
“I wasn’t bluffing,” the Brazilian wrote in one tweet.
I wasn't bluffing 🙌
— Paulo Costa ( Borrachinha ) (@BorrachinhaMMA) December 19, 2022
“Great fights is going down due to lack of negotiation skills, they should stop being petty,” he wrote in another post.
Great fights is going down due to lack of negotiation skills, they should stop being petty 👍🥤 pic.twitter.com/uAfFLnTOdN
— Paulo Costa ( Borrachinha ) (@BorrachinhaMMA) December 19, 2022
Later in a separate tweet, Costa clarified that it is not ‘smart’ to make fighters uncanny with deals, while naming Francis Ngannou, Sean O’Malley and Mark Hunt, along with himself.
“I think they’re taking it the wrong way, making fighters unhappy with deals isn’t very smart. It’s not only ME, I remember: Nagnnu , OMalley , Mark hunt ect,” Costa added.
I think they're taking it the wrong way, making fighters unhappy with deals isn't very smart. It’s not only ME, I remember: Nagnnu , OMalley , Mark hunt ect
— Paulo Costa ( Borrachinha ) (@BorrachinhaMMA) December 19, 2022
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