Paulo Costa says that he needed to take a "long shower" after his fight with Luke Rockhold at UFC 278, during which Rockhold smeared the blood from his broken nose over Costa's face. Costa went on to win the fight by unanimous decision with scores of 30-27.
"Man, I didn’t see it in the moment of the fight,” Costa said afterward. “I just felt something on my face. But I was also worried about blocking his arms, and not getting hit with an elbow or punch. But now when I saw, it was very disgusting. It’s a very weird moment."
He continued: "I don’t know why he did that. Maybe he was so frustrated and angry because he was losing the fight. I took a very long shower after the fight.”
The clip, which quickly went viral on social media, shows Rockhold pinning Costa on the ground and rubbing his blood-splattered face all over his opponent.
Rockhold announced his retirement after the fight: “I’ve been through so much the last years. Thank you fighting, thank you UFC, thank you Joe. I can’t f—king do this any more. I gave it my all and it just didn’t ... I’m f—king old.”
Joe Rogan congratulated Rockhold on his "amazing display of perseverance and guts and courage" during the post-fight interview.
Rockhold ends his career at 16-6 while Costa rises to 14-2.
[Via]