Former UFC middleweight championship challenger Paulo Costa has been forced to withdraw from his upcoming fight with the former champion Robert Whittaker, per reports.
The pair was scheduled to meet at UFC Fight Night 188 on April 17 in Las Vegas. According to reports, the Brazilian fighter suffers from “severe flu” and it’s not able to train properly for the bout.
The clash between two of the best middleweights had to serve as the main event and the winner would go on to be the next challenger for Israel Adesanya who already beat both of them.
At this point, it’s unclear if Costa will be replaced or the fight will be postponed with few weeks.
Whittaker, 30, is on a two-fight winning streak with his last fight taking place in October 2020. Costa, 29, hasn’t fought since September when he lost to Israel Adesanya.