Robert Whittaker vs. Paulo Costa, Ian Garry vs. Geoff Neal Added to UFC 298 Lineup

UFC 298 is shaping up to be a treat for mixed martial arts fans
with the addition of two riveting matchups.

According to an announcement made by
Ultimate Fighting Championship CEO Dana White on Thursday, UFC
298 will feature former middleweight champion Robert
Whittaker (24-7) taking on Paulo Costa
(14-2) while rising Irish star Ian Garry
(13-0) will face his first Top 10 opponent in No. 8 ranked
welterweight Geoff Neal
(15-5).

Whittaker has gone 1-2 in his last three Octagon appearances, most
recently suffering a Round 2 technical knockout against Dricus Du
Plessis in their meeting at UFC 290. The former champion will
look to make a return to winning ways if he hopes to earn another
shot at the middleweight title.

Meanwhile, Costa last appeared inside the Octagon at UFC 278 back
in August 2022, where he secured a unanimous decision victory
against Luke
Rockhold. Since then, “Borrachinha” has been out of action due
to contract negotiations followed by a serious staph infection that
forced him to withdraw from his latest booking against Khamzat
Chimaev at UFC 294.

While Garry and Neal were initially booked to compete at UFC 292,
the American bowed out from the match due to an undisclosed medical
situation.

In his latest Octagon appearance, Neal had his two-fight winning
streak snapped after being submitted in the final minute of a
three-round affair with Shavkat
Rakhmonov at UFC 285.

Garry, on the other hand, has maintained his undefeated record on
his way to the Top 10 of the welterweight division. Currently on a
six-fight win streak in the promotion, the Irishman most recently
put on a masterclass against divisional veteran Neil Magny to
secure a unanimous decision victory at UFC 292.

UFC 298 is set to take place on Feb. 17 at Honda Center in Anaheim,
California, and will be headlined by a featherweight title clash
between Alexander
Volkanovski and Ilia
Topuria. Moreover, the co-main event will feature a
high-profile bantamweight meeting between former champion Henry
Cejudo and Merab
Dvalishvili.