UFC 302 co-headliner Paulo Costa’s latest triumph inside the Octagon came in memorable and bloody fashion almost two years ago.
“Borrachinha” will feature in the co-main event of this weekend’s pay-per-view card in Newark, New Jersey, where he’s tasked with getting the better of fellow contender and former UFC middleweight champion Sean Strickland.
Costa made his return from a lengthy layoff this past February, squaring off against Robert Whittaker at UFC 298 in Anaheim. The highly entertaining affair came 18 months on from his previous outing at UFC 278 in Salt Lake City in Utah.
On that night, the Brazilian welcomed former titleholder Luke Rockhold back to action. While the altitude saw fatigue heavily affect their showdown, the three-round affair still featured a number of notable moments, chief among them being the veteran’s gruesome wipe of his bloody face on Costa in the dying moments.
Ahead of Saturday’s event, the promotion has released the full Costa vs. Rockhold fight from UFC 278 on its official YouTube channel.
Be it in a similar fashion or a more comfortable one, Costa will be fully focused on having his hand raised inside the Octagon again this weekend inside Newark’s Prudential Center.
And given that Strickland entered this year with the gold in his possession, such a feat would no doubt leave the Brazilian within touching distance of a second opportunity at achieving champ status on MMA’s biggest stage.
