Aussie keeps his head to grab win

Australian hero Robert Whittaker battled back from a stunning first-round head kick to beat Paulo Costa by unanimous decision in the comain event.

The Aussie had promised to bring back “the animal” he had been on his rise to the middleweight title, and he was made to dig deep in a wild 15minute scrap.

Whittaker started brilliantly, but was sent staggering by a perfect spinning heel kick in the final seconds of round 1.

In another trademark gritty performance though, he won with scores of 29-28, 2928 and 30-27, keeping his hopes of fighting for the 185lb title again alive after his loss to Dricus du Plessis last year.

“I told you I’d take the fight to him, he’s a tough dude,” Whittaker said afterwards.

“I did. I put a lot of pressure on myself to perform, especially after my last fight, but I’m looking to make amends with Dricus.

“I’m back.”

Costa ran across the cage and was aggressive early on, while Whittaker kept him at bay with a series of leg kicks.

The size difference was noticeable, but as the action slowed, Whittaker was able to land more and more telling combinations.

Whittaker didn’t seem to show any ill effects of that round 1 heavy shot to open the second, but it had given Costa a big boost in confidence.

The Reaper kept targeting Costa’s left leg, which had big red marks on it, but the Aussie ended the second round bleeding from his nose and cuts around his eye.

The wide-eyed alertness in Whittaker’s eyes in the early minutes of the fight had been replaced by a grim determination entering the decisive third frame.