Paulo Costa vs. Robert Whittaker: UFC 284 odds comparison

A middleweight clash between fan favorites Paulo Costa and Robert Whittaker is being targeted by the UFC for the upcoming UFC 284 pay-per-view, scheduled for February 12 at the RAC Arena in Perth, Australia.

As per the live odds on DraftKings Sportsbook, former middleweight champion Robert Whittaker is the -255 favorite to win the fight against the +215 moderate underdog Costa. Since the event is well over two months away, the closing odds might be significantly different.

Based on the current betting lines, a $1,000 wager on 'The Reaper' will yield users a payout of $1,392.15 if the 31-year-old wins the fight. The same wager on 'Borrachinha' could turn into an attractive return of $3,150 if Costa gets his hand raised.

While the Brazilian currently occupies the No. 6 spot in the middleweight rankings, Whittaker is a few spots above at No. 2.

'Bobby Knuckles' holds a professional MMA record of 24-6. In his most recent octagon outing at UFC Paris, the Australian bested former title challenger Marvin Vettori via unanimous decision.

Costa is also fresh off a high-profile unanimous decision win, having outpointed former middleweight champion Luke Rockhold at UFC 278. The Brazilian's MMA record currently stands at 14 wins against two losses.

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Robert Whittaker says that he is a better fighter than Paulo Costa "skill-wise"

In a recent interview with Submission Radio, former UFC middleweight champion Robert Whittaker spoke about his upcoming fight with Paulo Costa. The 31-year-old said that Costa is a tough fighter and deserves respect, like all his past opponents.

However, 'The Reaper' cheekily claimed that even though Costa probably benches more than him, he's definitely a notch above the Brazilian "skill-wise."

The Australian added that he's also going to dictate the pace for the whole fight:

"Yeah, I think he's a tough guy. I'm taking this fight with all the respect that I do every other fight... I think, skill-wise, I'm better than Paulo across the board. He probably benches more than me but my bench isn't crazy anyway... I think I have the opportunity to... give a good account of my skill set, to take the fight wherever I wanted to dictate the pace."

Watch Robert Whittaker speak about Paulo Costa below: