Bodybuilder Mike O'Hearn reacts to Paulo Costa throwing first pitch at the Mets game
Paulo Costa had the privilege of throwing the first pitch at the New York Mets' loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers, drawing the attention of bodybuilder and popular social media fitness influencer Mike O'Hearn. An Instagram post commemorated the Brazilian's part in the pre-game baseball ritual.
This caused a drove of fans to flock to the comment section. Curiously, one of the most notable comments came from O'Hearn, with whom Costa has struck up something of a friendship and social media partnership due to their mutual love of physical fitness.
O'Hearn's comment was a sequence of heart emojis, with no accompanying words. He appeared to be merely showing his appreciation for Costa.
The Brazilian will welcome O'Hearn's support, as he has one of his highest-profile fights to date this weekend, as he takes on former UFC middleweight champion Sean Strickland in the co-main event of UFC 302. The bout is of tremendous significance for both men.
Strickland is still reeling from his middleweight title loss at UFC 297, where he dropped the belt to Dricus du Plessis in a controversial split decision. Meanwhile, 'Borrachinha' is coming off a hard-fought unanimous decision loss to former titleholder Robert Whittaker, who he faced at UFC 298.
The loss marks a turning point in Costa's career. Once undefeated, he hasn't been on a win streak since 2019 and has struggled with consistency. Costa has withdrawn from numerous fights while having a run of one win in his last four fights. He will look to reverse his fortunes come Saturday.
Paulo Costa's friendship with Mike O'Hearn
A month ago, Paulo Costa and Mike O'Hearn's mutual love of physical fitness were caught on camera when the pair filmed a training video at a gym. They did concentration curls and shadow-boxed, among other exercises. Their friendship has endured as they're still engaging with each other on social media.
Check out Paulo Costa training with Mike O'Hearn:
Moreover, O'Hearn himself has been venturing into the world of combat sports more. He was previously training for a pro-wrestling match with Quinton 'Rampage' Jackson on Josh Barnett's Bloodsport Bushido, which is scheduled for June 22.