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List Twitter reacts to Paulo Costa’s bloody, wild, bizarre win over Luke Rockhold at UFC 278

If that’s the last time we see Luke Rockhold in the cage, then what a way for him to go out.

Short of a win, Rockhold couldn’t have squeezed any more juice out of his final fight week, from rocking the boat with his talk about fighter pay, health care and bonus structure to what he actually did inside the octagon in a unanimous decision loss to Paulo Costa.

It’s not easy to return to fighting after three years away and face an elite, highly ranked opponent. Rockhold (16-6 MMA, 6-5 UFC) took that challenge, and despite losing every round on all three scorecards, he fought his heart out until the bitter end and did everything possible get his hand raised.

Rockhold was presented with many chances to take an out against Costa. He was bloodied, hurt and painfully fouled, but he kept on pushing. He landed some huge shots and had some advantageous ground positions at time, but you could tell it was a far diminished version of the man who once held UFC and Strikeforce gold.

That’s the cruel nature of this sport, though. From what I saw during my pre-fight interactions and gym visits with Rockhold, he was doing everything right in order to maximize this moment and give himself the best chance of victory. No matter how hard someone works, though, it’s sometimes just impossible to recapture that magic fully. As Rockhold said in his post-fight interview with Joe Rogan, he’s just “f*cking old.”

In the end, you have to admire Rockhold’s courage. From speaking about what he believes in ahead of the fight to giving it his all when he was battling Costa, what appears to be Rockhold’s final performance turned a lot of people who may have been off put by some of his antics or personality traits earlier in his career. Hopefully he leaves with closure and the next chapter of his life, whatever it may be, brings him peace and happiness.

Gallery Paulo Costa def. Luke Rockhold at UFC 278: Best photos