"Absolute bat sh** crazy fight"- Referee Marc Goddard gives his take on whether the Luke Rockhold vs. Paulo Costa fight should've been stopped

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Luke Rockhold vs. Paulo Costa (left), Marc Goddard (right) [Image credit: @marcgoddard_uk on Instagram]

Marc Goddard was recently questioned whether the incredible three-round war between Luke Rockhold and Paulo Costa at UFC 278 should have been stopped. The longtime MMA referee insisted that Rockhold was merely fatigued and the official made the right call by not jumping in to try to save a fighter who was still in the fight.

Goddard is also a former competitor in the sport of mixed martial arts, competing in the heavyweight division during his prime. His less than impressive 7-6-1 record saw him spend time with the Cage Warriors, win two of his final three fights, and end his career with a draw in 2008.

The insane clash between the two middleweights on Saturday night resulted in high-octane drama. Despite Luke Rockhold getting rocked and looking visibly fatigued throughout the majority of the fight, Marc Goddard claimed that correct choices were made by the in-ring referee Mike Beltran.

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"Absolute bat sh** crazy fight. Unquestionable heart from Luke Rockhold. Respect... There’s wasn’t a point in that fight where it wasn’t handled correctly. Experienced referees understand and know the difference between fatigue & cognitive issues or signs a fighter is done. Luke was in that fight to the last second. Handled superbly."

Marc Goddard

@marcgoddard_uk

Absolute bat shit crazy fight. Unquestionable heart from Luke Rockhold. Respect.

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Absolute bat shit crazy fight. Unquestionable heart from Luke Rockhold. Respect.

Marc Goddard

@marcgoddard_uk

Categorically not. There’s wasn’t a point in that fight where it wasn’t handled correctly. Experienced referees understand and know the difference between fatigue & cognitive issues or signs a fighter is done. Luke was in that fight to the last second. Handled superbly. twitter.com/mickeymcmonagl…

Mickey McMonagle

@MickeyMcMonagle

@marcgoddard_uk Would you have stopped it at any point when rockhold was bent double between engagements and looked like he couldn't defend himself? He rallied each time of course...but it looked like he was done a couple of times before fighting back

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@marcgoddard_uk Would you have stopped it at any point when rockhold was bent double between engagements and looked like he couldn't defend himself? He rallied each time of course...but it looked like he was done a couple of times before fighting back

Categorically not. There’s wasn’t a point in that fight where it wasn’t handled correctly. Experienced referees understand and know the difference between fatigue & cognitive issues or signs a fighter is done. Luke was in that fight to the last second. Handled superbly. twitter.com/mickeymcmonagl…

In a back-and-forth war spanning over 15 minutes, Paulo Costa got the nod on the scorecards. However, a lot of credit must go to Rockhold for keeping the matchup competitive and refusing to take the easy way out.

Following his third consecutive loss inside the octagon, the 37-year-old announced his retirement from the sport, admitting that his love for competing isn't what it used to be.

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Luke Rockhold's best moments in the UFC

Rockhold added another epic chapter to his UFC story in his war against Paulo Costa, and he can proudly look back on his accomplishments.

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Although he didn't have the greatest end to an impressive career, the American Kickboxing Academy star was once considered the greatest middleweight alive.

Losing his UFC debut after making the jump over from Strikeforce, Rockhold quickly put that setback behind him and went on a five-fight win-streak, capturing the 185lbs strap in the process.

A dominant display from early 2014 to late 2015 saw him either knockout or submit Costas Philippou, Tim Boetsch, Michael Bisping, Lyoto Machida, and Chris Weidman. Rockhold has his name cemented among the best middleweights to ever step foot in the octagon. His knockout victory over the seemingly invincible Chris Weidman in 2015 remains an iconic moment.

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