Like most fans, Jon Anik has the co-main event of Saturday’s UFC pay-per-view event circled on his fight card.
Anik will call the action alongside Joe Rogan and Daniel Cormier at UFC 278 in Salt Lake City, which includes a heated middleweight showdown between Paulo Costa and former middleweight champion Luke Rockhold, who returns to action after three years away from the octagon.
Despite the lengthy layoff and two fight skid in which he was knocked down by Yoel Romo and Jan Blachowicz in the second round, Anik feels that Rockhold could have the timing right to earn a title shot. This is especially true if Israel Adesanya is able to defend his title against Alex Pereira at UFC 281 on November.
“It is a great question, and there’s not any doubt about it,” Anik said to MMA Fighting. “Certainly Adesanya has business to attend to with Alex Pereira, and it’s not out of the realm of possibility that those guys fight twice in a row if Alex is able to get him. There’s a lot of different balls in the air, but absolutely [Rockhold can earn a title shot].
“Izzy, a champion who wants to face the toughest challenges. His Wikipedia page has green stripes and Darren Till, a name he loves and a man in Luke Rockhold, who many of us placed on a pedestal and projected as one of the great middleweight champions. He didn’t defend the belt successfully a singular time, but in terms of potential for greatness, I think some people would argue it’s still engrained in Luke Rockhold.
“It would absolutely be an appetizing fight — not just promotionally, but for the champion as well.”
Costa also will be looking for his first victory since beating Romero almost three years ago on the date of UFC 278’s fight card. Since then, “The Eraser” was crushed by Adesanya in his first title opportunity at UFC 253 in September 2020, and was outworked by Marvin Vettori 13 months later in the light heavyweight main event of UFC Vegas 43.
While Rockhold has a lot riding on Saturday’s matchup, Anik believes most of the pressure is on Costa, more so now since it was revealed that this is the final fight on his current contract.
” Both of these athletes are under tremendous pressure,” Anik said to MMA Fighting. “Luke Rockhold is 37, so the time really has to be now, even though he’s the guy — unlike Paulo Costa — who has the UFC undisputed championship belt on the mantle at home. It’s interesting to see that both men have lost their last two fights. I also think it’s possible to argue that Paulo Costa is not living up to expectations. His performance in the UFC championship against Adesanya was disappointing, as well as his follow-up against Marvin Vettori.
“I think there’s an avalanche of pressure on Paulo Costa as the more primed, and primal athlete right now to get the job done and try to prove that he’s somebody they can really count on to carry the torch for Brazil and this middleweight division.”
There’s immense pressure on both fighters to succeed, but when it comes to the questions being asked in regards to this highly anticipated matchup, the longtime lead voice of the UFC feels that the most glaring questions are towards the Rockhold side of things.
“With Rockhold, I don’t really know what we’re getting,” Anik said. If social media can be used as an indicator then the hay has clearly been placed in the barn. A lot of work was done to strengthen and condition the animals. You see in terms of Rockhold’s physical recovery, he has put a lot of resources and finances into making sure that he is ready to go.
“Some people will tell you that chins never recover. I don’t know if that’s necessarily the case, but where is Luke Rockhold’s chin? Is he able to get a shot off Paulo Costa? I think that’s the rub for a lot of people in this fight: if Luke Rockhold can take a shot or two, work his game, and potentially creating some grappling transitions because we know how good he is on top with his ground and pound, we’ll see. I just don’t know where Rockhold is at mentally, and where his chin is physically. I just feel like there’s a lot more variables on the Rockhold side and that’s why he’s a +250 [or higher] as the betting underdog this weekend.
I cannot wait to see that fight.
