Results of UFC 278: Luke Rockhold lost to Paulo Costa in a blood-and-guts battle, indicating that he has had enough of fighting
UFC 278 middleweight co-main event saw Rockhold (16-6 MMA, 6-5 UFC) lose to Paulo Costa (14-2 MMA, 6-2 UFC) by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27).
There was blood and guts in the fight, and each man's heart was on display. He indicated that the war likely would be his last fight after Costa was declared the winner.
As tears flowed from Rockhold's eyes, he said, "I've been through so much the last few years.". "Thank you, fighting." he said.
Thanks, UFC. Joe (Rogan): Thank you so much. I can't do this anymore. It was all I could do. The truth is, I didn't ... I'm so old."
The 37-year-old Rockhold had not competed in about three years - and hadn't won in five. IF UFC 278 turns out to be his final fight, he will have lost four of his last five.
The American Kickboxing Academy (AKA) was founded by former UFC and Strikeforce champion Rockhold. Among his notable wins are Chris Weidman, Lyoto Machida, Michael Bisping, and Ronaldo Souza.
When Rockhold entered UFC 278 he openly criticized the UFC's fighter pay and healthcare. The complaints were later described as gibberish by UFC president Dana White.
Costa came out strong with some big strikes before he secured a takedown in the fight. He returned to his feet, noticeably exhausted and bleeding profusely.
Although Rockhold breathed heavily in and out of his mouth, he found success with single-strike combinations. Rockhold knelt and put his hands on his knees at the end of Round 1.
Rockhold dug deep in Round 3. While he was on the verge of exhaustion, he still managed to scream expletives at Costa before landing his most crushing blow.
Rockhold reverses positions after Costa scores a wobbly takedown During the fight, both men bleed profusely, magnified by Rockhold smearing blood all over Costa After the fight ended the crowd erupted