UFC 278: Former UFC champion Luke Rockhold retires after wild fight with Paulo Costa

PERTH, AUSTRALIA - DECEMBER 12: American former UFC middleweight champion Luke Rockhold during a UFC 221 workout session on December 12, 2017 in Perth, Australia. (Photo by Will Russell/Getty Images)
PERTH, AUSTRALIA - DECEMBER 12: American former UFC middleweight champion Luke Rockhold during a UFC 221 workout session on December 12, 2017 in Perth, Australia. (Photo by Will Russell/Getty Images)

Luke Rockhold appears to be calling it a career after he and Paulo Costa took each other to the limit at UFC 278

Luke Rockhold got people talking after his fight with Paulo Costa in the co-main event of UFC 278 for two reasons. Firstly, there was the rubbing of nose blood on Costa at the end of the fight.

Then, after the result was read, Rockhold announced he was calling it a career.

“I can’t do this anymore,” Rockhold said in a post-fight interview. “I’m too old for this s***.”

Luke Rockhold retires after brawl with Paulo Costa at UFC 278 where he rubbed blood on Costa

Rockhold made his professional MMA debut in July 2007, going 1-1 that year before joining Strikeforce, winning all nine fights he had in the promotion and claiming the Strikeforce middleweight championship.

Rockhold joined the UFC following Strikeforce’s closure, making his debut in May 2013 in a KO loss to Vitor Belfort. He’d rebound, however, and win five straight, culminating in him defeating Chris Weidman at UFC 194 to claim the UFC middleweight championship.

UFC 278: Kamaru Usman vs. Leon Edwards took place on Saturday, Aug. 20, 2022, live from the Vivint Arena, in Salt Lake City, UT. Follow along with FanSided MMA, who was on site, for all your news and highlights.