Paulo Costa drops UFC 298 bombshell, says he is yet to sign contract to fight Robert Whittaker despite reports

Paulo Costa recently dropped a massive bombshell that could possibly put his bout against Robert Whittaker in jeopardy.

The promotion announced that the middleweight clash between Costa and Whittaker was booked for UFC 298, which is scheduled to take place at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California, on Feb. 17. During his appearance on today's episode of The MMA Hour, the Brazilian mentioned that he has yet to sign the contract to fight the former middleweight champion despite the promotion's announcement.

Costa said:

"I tell you, I didn't sign yet...They didn't send [the contract]. They didn't send this email. I'm waiting for [the] email. I don't know what happened, but they say Anaheim. I'm okay with Anaheim, I like the California people...The only problem with Anaheim is the tax of California...I think the fight gonna happen."

Even though 'Borrachinha' noted that he believes the fight will happen, 'The Reaper' likely won't be too pleased to hear that his proposed opponent claims to not have signed a contract a month before their fight. This isn't the first time either, as they were initially scheduled to fight at UFC 284 last year, but the fight was scrapped due to the Brazilian making a similar claim about never having signed the contract.

Whether UFC CEO Dana White will confirm that Costa signed the contract to fight Whittaker remains to be seen.

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Paulo Costa expresses interest in fighting Conor McGregor

Paulo Costa recently expressed interest in fighting Conor McGregor in the future and is confident that it could become a reality.

During the aforementioned appearance, the former UFC middleweight title challenger complimented the Irishman on his abilities as a fighter and believes he is sincere about fighting at 185 pounds. He even mentioned how what would transpire if they met inside the octagon, saying:

"I would not try to take him down and him either. He’s huge, strong, he’s an exceptional fighter I think, one of the best of all time.”