Chael Sonnen's advice for Robert Whittaker and Paulo Costa after UFC 298: 'No more breaks'
Chael Sonnen says activity is key for both Robert Whittaker and Paulo Costa after UFC 298.
Chael Sonnen says activity is key for both Robert Whittaker and Paulo Costa.
Whittaker (25-7 MMA, 16-5 UFC) outlasted Costa (14-3 MMA, 6-3 UFC) in a thrilling battle in this past Saturday’s UFC 298 co-main event at Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif.
Whittaker fought once in 2023, suffering a TKO loss to current middleweight champion Dricus Du Plessis at UFC 290. Costa has been far less active, not fighting in 2023, and logging in just one fight a year since 2018. Sonnen would like to see both fighters compete more often.
“Robert Whittaker is as true and pure of a fighter as I’ve ever seen,” Sonnen said on his YouTube channel. “He is an absolute lock to go into the Hall of Fame. And when I look at Whittaker and where he needs to go from now, it’s the same analysis that I will look at Paulo Costa and where Paulo needs to go from now, which is quite simply no more breaks. No more year delays. No more talking about talking, and meeting about meetings, and thinking about thinking. You got to compete.
“Got to go in there, get that contract signed, get back in that training camp, and turn over as many performances as you can. It’s the one thing that brings pause when you’re talking about Robert Whittaker’s career. Where should we go with him now? Well, I need to know that he’s active. I need to know that he can take on three fights a year. The same thing goes for Paulo Costa.”
Costa, 32, is now 1-3 in his past four fights. The former title challenger’s lone victory in that stretch came over Luke Rockhold in a Fight of the Night war at UFC 278.
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 298.