Dustin Safranek-USA TODAY Sports

Beneil Dariush Uses Past Experience Cornering Against Paulo Costa To Predict Robert Whittaker Fight At UFC 298

Originally posted on MMA News | By Harvey Leonard | Last updated 2/14/24

Having cornered against Paulo Costa and rolled with Robert Whittaker, lightweight contender Beneil Dariush is well-placed to give his thoughts on their upcoming UFC 298 fight.

While plenty of attention is on the championship contest set to headline this weekend's pay-per-view at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California, the co-main event doesn't fall too far short in terms of intrigue.

In it, former middleweight champ Robert Whittaker and ex-title challenger Paulo Costa will do battle, with both men hoping to stake their claims for a shot at Dricus Du Plessis' gold down the line.

One man familiar with both men has given his prediction, and it isn't great reading for "Borrachinha."

Dariush 'Can't See' Much Costa Could Do To Beat Whittaker

During the second episode of the UFC 298 Embedded: Vlog Series, the promotion's cameras spoke to Dariush, who has provided Whittaker access to the Kings MMA gym and even made himself available as a training partner.

While he's gained insight into the Australian's talents, Dariush also has an idea of what his Brazilian counterpart can offer, having cornered against Costa in his defeat to Marvin Vettori back in 2021.

With those experiences in mind, Dariush is seemingly expecting Whittaker to handedly get the better of Costa come fight night this Saturday.

"We're at Kings in Anaheim, that's my gym," Dariush said. "Last week, Rob and his coach reached out and were like, 'Hey, can we use the place?' I was like, 'Yeah, of course,' and on top of that, I was like, 'Hey, if you guys need a body, I'm here and I'm available.' To my surprise, they said yes.

"I've cornered against Paulo before, and from what I've seen so far, I think it will be a really difficult fight for him," Dariush continued. 'The challenges that Rob brings, I don't know if he's gonna have an answer to. From what I've felt from Rob, I don't really see too much that Costa can do to win this."

Costa will be hoping to prove Dariush and others sharing the same sentiment wrong by upsetting the odds to send Whittaker on the first losing skid of his middleweight career.

That will no doubt be a tall order, especially in the eyes of those who see cage rust as a factor. The Brazilian hasn't competed since a decision win over Luke Rockhold 18 months ago.