The UFC 278 co-main event had to be seen to be believed. Former UFC middleweight champion Luke Rockhold and one-time title challenger Paulo Costa engaged in a 15-minute brawl that featured a multitude of massive strikes, bad decisions, illegal shots, both men getting hurt multiple times over, and exhaustion. Lots of exhaustion. Costa won a shutout unanimous decision that was wilder than the scorecards suggest.
A tearful Rockhold pretty much retired in the post-fight interview, succinctly saying “I’m f—king old.”
Rockhold started out throwing kicks and putting Costa on the backfoot. Luke shot in for a takedown and was met with a clubbing counter left, a sprawl, and a series of heavy punches in the clinch.