Potential reason why Paulo Costa isn't fighting on April 17th against Robert Whittaker

Paulo Costa has reportedly been forced to withdraw from his upcoming main event fight against Robert Whittaker. Initial reports from AgFight.com have confirmed that Costa has fallen ill and won't be available to fight on the April 17th card.

The UFC is yet to release an official statement on Paulo Costa and the status of his main event fight against Whittaker. The promotion is now also likely to book a new main event for April 17th.

Meanwhile, there are a few potential rescheduling dates for Paulo Costa vs. Robert Whittaker doing the rounds too. Reports have suggested that the fight could either take place on the May 1st or May 8th UFC card.

Jokes aside, if you're going to drive don't drink, if you're going to fight ditto. Only in cases of emergency.#soberCostaUndefeated pic.twitter.com/aZKLhOmhbI

— Paulo Costa ( Borrachinha ) (@BorrachinhaMMA) March 7, 2021

Paulo Costa is gunning for another shot at the UFC middleweight title after his loss at UFC 253

The last time Paulo Costa stepped inside the Octagon, things didn't go too well for the Brazilian. The hard-hitting middleweight ended up losing his title fight to current champion Israel Adesanya. However, he has been aiming for a rematch against The Last Stylebender ever since.

April 17th would've marked Paulo Costa's first fight since his loss to Izzy. However, his return is now expected to be delayed till May.

On the other hand, Robert Whittaker is on a two-fight winning streak. The former UFC middleweight champion - who lost his title to Israel Adesanya in 2019 - got back to winning ways by beating Darren Till and Jared Cannonier in back-to-back fights in 2020.

Sober Costa is still undefeated 🍷

— Paulo Costa ( Borrachinha ) (@BorrachinhaMMA) March 3, 2021

After registering two impressive wins, The Reaper signed up for a fight against former title contender Paulo Costa. A fight that would've played a huge role in deciding Adesanya's next title challenger now seems to be hanging in the balance.

Other top middleweights, including Darren Till, Kevin Holland, Marvin Vettori, and Derek Brunson, will instead aim to put Adesanya on notice by putting up stellar performances in their upcoming fights.

This weekend's UFC Vegas 22 main event will feature Holland against Brunson, whereas April 10 will feature a huge middleweight showdown between Till and Vettori.