It took UFC middleweight Paulo Costa a little while to comprehend what Luke Rockhold did in the final seconds of their UFC 278 fight. Once he figured it out, he shared the reaction many did to Rockhold smearing blood on his face.
” I didn’t notice it during the fight,” Costa stated at Saturday’s post-fight press conference. “I just felt something on my face, but I was so worried about blocking his arms to not get elbowed in the face and punched. However, I did feel something.
“Now, when I saw, it’s a very disgusting scene. This is a bizarre moment .”
Costa survived the fight without taking any extra elbows. He had to bear the blood of Rockhold on his mouth and face for those last seconds. A unanimous decision by scores of 30-27 put him back in the win column after a pair of octagon setbacks, including a disastrous title outing against champ Israel Adesanya.
It also gave him a little highlight material he’d probably rather not have.
” I saw the moment when [Yoel] Romero smites [Rockhold] after beating Costa,” Costa stated. “That was the weirdest moment that I had seen, but this beat that moment. Luke’s actions are a mystery to me. Perhaps he felt frustrated or angry at losing the fight. After the fight , I had to take a long shower .
Costa didn’t expect to even go to the third round in the first place. Rockhold had given him signs that indicated he didn’t require judges to give the verdict. The audience was shocked when Rockhold, a former champion middleweight fighter, managed to summon the strength and curse him before socking him in the face. Their awkward encounter ended in seconds. Rockhold was still tough after his three-year absence, prompting questions about Rockhold’s longevity.
“Yes, I thought when I saw him put his hands on his knees and show how tired he was, I thought maybe this guy won’t finish the last moment of the third round,” Costa said. He put me there in a way that he liked, so maybe I wasn’t too hard on him. I let him survive a little bit, just getting points round by round.”
With lessons learned, Costa can move on to the next phase of his career, whatever that might be. The Brazilian isn’t sure whether or not he has another fight on his contract, though he certainly indicated Saturday’s fight would be his final obligation. UFC President Dana White stated that he would like to sign the title challenger once again.
Costa will attempt to capture better highlights-reel footage next time he visits.
