AgFight was first to report that the bout was in jeopardy, and multiple outlets have since confirmed that an illness has resulted in Costa’s exit from the card. This particular case of the flu has hindered the Brazilian’s ability to properly prepare for the fight, which ultimately forced him to pull out of the event.
The Las Vegas-based promotion is reportedly looking into moving Costa vs. Whittaker to May 1 or May 8, but nothing has been finalized. It appears unlikely that Whittaker will receive a replacement opponent."We just need two more weeks because Paulo got a strong flu and had to stop his training," Costa's manager, Walllid Ismael, told Sherdog.com. "Actually, the entire team of trainers and sparring partners were hit by the virus."
Ismael emphasized that Costa's sickness was a normal flu, not COVID-19.
"Actually Paulo caug…