The UFC needs a new headliner for its upcoming event on April 17 after Paulo Costa has decided to withdraw from a middleweight clash with Robert Whittaker, multiple people with knowledge of the situation told MMA Fighting.
Costa is dealing with a severe flu and can’t fully prepare for the pivotal fight, according to those people. It’s still unclear if the promotion will move the matchup to a new date or find a new opponent for ex-champion Whittaker. One option currently on the table is rescheduling the match for UFC cards on May 1 or May 8.