UFC 298: Alexander Volkanovski vs. Ilia Topuria continues with the co-main event fight in the middleweight division between No. 3 ranked middleweight contender and former UFC middleweight champion Robert Whittaker and No. 6 ranked Paulo Costa. Whittaker is coming off of only his second knockout defeat during his time in the middleweight division meanwhile, Costa is coming off a dominant win but also a lengthy layoff due to injuries. With that said, check out our UFC odds series for our Whittaker-Costa prediction and pick.

Robert Whittaker (24-7) suffered only his second knockout defeat in his middleweight career when he lost to the current middleweight champion Dricus Du Plessis. He now gets to prove he is still one of the best middleweights in the world despite the recent outcome when he takes on Paulo Costa at UFC 298 this weekend.

Paulo Costa (14-2) has been on the shelf for the last 18 months while he has been dealing with nagging injuries, even having a staff infection ahead of his fight against Khamzat Chimaev. If all goes well we will finally get to Paulo Costa in action this weekend as he attempts to make up for lost time when he takes on Robert Whittaker this weekend at UFC 298.

Here are the UFC Odds, courtesy of BetOnline. 

UFC 298 Odds: Robert Whittaker-Paulo Costa Odds

Robert Whittaker: -244

Paulo Costa: +209

Over 2.5 rounds: -150

Under 2.5 rounds: +120

*Watch sports LIVE with fuboTV (click for a free trial)*

Why Robert Whittaker Will Win

Robert Whittaker was on his way staking a claim to be next in line for a title shot if he was able to get through Dricus Du Plessis but Du Plessis had other plans. A lot of people were shocked at how Du Plessis handled Whittaker the way that he did and are looking to right him off of just one bad performance. Whittaker certainly will be looking to prove the doubters wrong when he returns to the octagon to take on Paulo Costa.

In this matchup, Whittaker has faced many fighters like Costa during his time. Costa comes in as the big powerful striker who possesses the power to knock out anyone in the middleweight division. Whittaker has time and time again shown even the biggest punchers can be beaten and he will be looking to prove that once again this weekend. As long as Whittaker can utilize his movement like he has done so very well in the past and not just be pressed back like in the Du Plessis fight, he should have no problem darting in and out of range while picking apart Costa en route to getting back on track.

Why Paulo Costa Will Win

Paulo Costa got his best victory in his last fight when he dominated Luke Rockhold throughout their 15-minute affair. That seems such a long time ago now that he has been out of commission for the latter portion of the last 18 months. Now, Costa is back in action looking to make up for lost time as he attempts to get the biggest win on his record when he takes on former champion Robert Whittaker this weekend.

Costa has the x-factor in this fight and that is his fight-ending power that can change the landscape of the fight with just one single punch or kick. He certainly is hoping that Whittaker is on the decline after his last knockout defeat because if his chin is somewhat compromised at all Costa can certainly take full advantage of it.

Final Robert Whittaker-Paulo Costa Prediction & Pick

This a great co-main event as we lead to the big featherweight championship in the main event. Robert Whittaker despite losing to Dricus Du Plessis is still one of the best middleweight fighters in the entire UFC. He has the experience of beating the best of the best for a very long time now and he will be looking to prove his superiority over the rest of the middleweight division with a win this weekend.

Meanwhile, Costa is on the path to getting the biggest win on his resume when he faces off against Robert Whittaker at UFC 298. While Whittaker is known for his durability, he is at a point where it could be compromised after so many wars while in the UFC and Costa is someone that will be looking to exploit that. Ultimately, things will seem to be dicey early on for Whittaker as that is when Costa will be at his most dangerous but as the fight progresses that is when Whittaker will start to take over and outwork Costa down the stretch to take the decision on the judge's scorecards to get back into the win column.

Click here for more betting news and predictions

Final Robert Whittaker-Paulo Costa Prediction & Pick: Robert Whittaker (-244), Over 2.5 Rounds (-150)