UFC color commentator and podcaster Joe Rogan believes a fighter’s defeat affected the combatant “mentally.”
In September 2020, top-ranked middleweight Paulo Costa suffered the first loss of his professional mixed martial arts career, falling to 185-pound king Israel Adesanya at UFC 253. The lead-up to the fight was fueled by trash talk from both parties and because of the style clash and heated rivalry, UFC president Dana White declared Adesanya vs. Costa as being the fight he looked forward to most in 2020.
GettyIsrael Adesanya kicks Paulo Costa in their middleweight championship bout during UFC 253 inside Flash Forum on UFC Fight Island on September 27, 2020 in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
Well, it was a rough night for “Borrachinha,” who wasn’t able to mount much of an offense on the feet. “The Last Stylebender” only needed two rounds to defeat Costa, dominating and finishing him via TKO. After the referee stepped in, Adesanya made a thrusting motion behind the Brazilian, creating a meme that has been widely shared in the MMA community. Re-live the finish below via the Twitter embed:
Costa shared a few different reasons for why he didn’t live up to the hype on fight night, including claiming that he drank an entire bottle of wine the night before UFC 253. Costa has fought once since then, taking on Marvin Vettori at light heavyweight.
The match was originally scheduled at 185 pounds but Costa had the fight moved to 205 pounds days before the fight, drawing criticism from many fans and analysts. Although the Brazilian put on a solid performance, he lost to Vettori via unanimous decision in October 2021.
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Rogan Said Adesanya ‘Limit Him Up Like a Christmas Tree,’ Hurt Costa Mentally
During episode No. 118 of the “JRE MMA Show,” Rogan spoke with women’s UFC bantamweight champion Julianna Pena and during their conversation, Costa came up. Rogan pointed to Costa’s impressive rise in the UFC, boasting a 13-0 record before meeting Adesanya inside the Octagon and beating the likes of Yoel Romero and former UFC welterweight champion Johny Hendricks.
However, Rogan thinks the loss to Adesanya “took a real toll on” Costa mentally.
“I think Adesanya’s fight took a real toll on him mentally,” Rogan said via Sportskeeda.com. “There were so many excuses. And it was the way that Israel beat him. I mean, Izzy just lit him up like a Christmas tree. And that was not a competitive fight by any stretch of the imagination. And I think when you’re a guy who steamrolls everybody, and walks down Yoel Romero, and you look like a destroyer – And then this skinny dude just lights you up, and f**** you up, and then dry humps you from behind while beating you up.”
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Rogan Gave His Thoughts on Vettori vs. Costa
GettyMarvin Vettori celebrates after his submission victory over Karl Roberson in their middleweight fight during the UFC Fight Night event at UFC APEX on June 13, 2020 in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Vettori’s performance against Costa was impressive to say the least, meeting the much heavier man in the center of the Octagon and outstriking him. While speaking with Pena, Rogan gave his thoughts on the match.
“I just didn’t think [Marvin] Vettori was going to stand and strike with him, which was surprising to see. I said he would try to wrestle, I felt he would have had better success [wrestling],” Rogan said. “Costa came in heavy, but he didn’t wrestle… What surprised me the most about Costa? I mean, he did right. It’s that leg kicks, I wish he did that more.”
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Fighter’s Loss ‘Took a Real Toll on Him Mentally,’ Joe Rogan Says