UFC 318 star Paulo Costa’s last victory before losing his undefeated status didn’t fail to entertain the fans.
While all eyes are on Dustin Poirier on Saturday as his career comes to a close in the main event, UFC 318 also marks a crucial moment in the career of co-headliner Costa.
Once a highly touted and undefeated knockout artist, ‘Borrachinha’ has fallen on hard times in recent years. Since Costa was tipped for stardom by Dana White in 2018, he’s won just two fights.
The Brazilian’s poor run began with his failed title bid against Israel Adesanya in 2020. While Costa did not show up on that night and put in a performance that was widely criticized, the same cannot be said of the fight that earned Costa his shot at gold.
Paulo Costa showboated his way to the best win of his UFC career
The final victory on Costa’s undefeated 13-0 run to start his MMA career came at UFC 241 in 2019. Before Stipe Miocic knocked out Daniel Cormier in the main event, one fight on the main card absolutely delivered as advertised.
When Costa threw down with Yoel Romero, many were expecting fireworks. But even the most confident of those predicting a war would not have foreseen the slobberknocker they had coming at Anaheim’s Honda Center.
The Brazilian and Cuban middleweights battled it out for three gripping rounds, trading brutal shots and bloodying one another up. Both men had their moments and rocked each other, leaving a conundrum for the judges.
Ultimately, the decision went the way of Costa, but it was more than just his fighting and victory that caught the eyes of fans.
The charismatic middleweight contender raised eyebrows with his hilarious showboating, taunting Romero by putting his hands behind his back and sticking his tongue out at various points in the fight.
Joe Rogan has long been astonished by Yoel Romero’s physique
Among those who had a front-row seat to the bloody battle between Costa and Romero was Joe Rogan. The longtime color commentator has frequently expressed his amazement at ‘Soldier of God’ and his physical capabilities.
During a late 2024 episode of the Joe Rogan Experience, the 57-year-old reacted to a video of the Cuban powerhouse running, calling the ex-UFC title challenger a “freak.”
“See if you could find the video of Yoel Romero sprinting, it’s nuts. Like, look at him run,” Rogan said. “So, his neck doesn’t move. His entire neck is completely fused and he has this giant scar on the back of his neck. He is a freak though, dude.”
And during a different 2024 episode featuring Jorge Masvidal, Rogan laid down even higher praise on Romero.
“The only guy who freaked me out was Yoel. Yoel Romero would look so big at 185 pounds, you’re like, ‘How is that 185 pounds? How is that even possible’? He looks like a heavyweight.”