"He's more complete" - Paulo Costa was surprised by Robert Whittaker's defeat to Israel Adesanya

Paulo Costa has revealed that he was surprised with the outcome of the Israel Adesanya versus Robert Whittaker at UFC 243.

Costa, No. 2 in the middleweight rankings, had his shot at the title not long after, but Adesanya also defeated him. The Brazilian has recently claimed that he was half-drunk ahead of the bout at UFC 253.

Speaking on his YouTube channel, Paulo Costa commented on his upcoming fight with Whittaker. While he believes he will knock the Australian out easily, 'Borrachinha' also stated that he was shocked by Whittaker's defeat to Adesanya.

"I thought Whittaker would beat Adesanya. We know that Adesanya is more one-dimensional. He is not known for having too many grappling abilities. Takedowns, jiu-jitsu, judo, etc. On the other hand, Whittaker has all that. So, I had bet on Whittaker [to beat Adesanya]. I think Whittaker is a truly complete fighter. Maybe not the toughest, but he's more complete."

Isreal Adesanya knocks out Whittaker #UFC243 #UFC #UFCMelbourne #UFCnoCombate pic.twitter.com/Qipv9At0cq

— GlendaleCardinals (@YotesGlendale) October 6, 2019

Whittaker, a former middleweight champion, fought twice in 2020. He defeated Darren Till and Jared Cannonier to reclaim his position as the No. 1 contender in the 185 lb division after losing to Adesanya in 2019.

Paulo Costa has only had three fights over the last three years in the UFC. He was on a five-match winning streak until the fight with Adesanya in 2020. The two will enter the Octagon to lock horns with each other at a UFC Fight Night event on April 17.

Paulo Costa believes he will make quick work of Robert Whittaker

UFC 241 Cormier v Miocic 2

Paulo Costa also said how he plans to beat Robert Whittaker with a quick knockout. 'Borrachinha' wants the fight to be over quickly so he can compete again this year.

"He is a great athlete. He has a lot of qualities. A true warrior. [But] I expect to knock him out quickly because I don't need to be engaging in that kind of war that he makes. He is known for that, right? [His fights usually last] three to five rounds. I don't expect to go the distance with him. So I don't get hurt, and I can fight again shortly after. I expect to be precise and knock him out quickly."

Would you like to see the winner of Paulo Costa and Robert Whittaker's bout competing for the UFC middleweight championship for a second time? Sound off in the comments.

It's official!Whittaker v Costa is going down on April 17 👊Who ya got? pic.twitter.com/WnaV3zAm95

— UFC on BT Sport (@btsportufc) February 27, 2021