"They don't give him credit" - John McCarthy feels Luke Rockhold has a fighting chance against Paulo Costa
John McCarthy believes Luke Rockhold has a good chance of coming out on top in his upcoming rumored fight against Paulo Costa.
In a recent interview, Rockhold confirmed his intention to return to the octagon and has been eyeing a potential June matchup with the heavy-handed Costa.
The 37-year-old is hoping to make his first UFC appearance since suffering back-to-back knockout losses. Understandably, 'Borrachinha' is considered the favorite heading into the bout, but John McCarthy insists the American has a good chance of emerging from the fight with a win.
In a recent episode of his podcast with Josh Thomson, Big John breaks down his thoughts, saying:
"Yes, Luke at times gets too much into being a standup guy. Cause he's slick, he's a technical fighter. He's got beautiful kicks, he hides them well, he's got power on them, but his ground game is what made Luke Rockhold who he was."
McCarthy then continued with his praise for Rockhold and how Costa could be a great matchup for him, stating:
"They don't give him credit for being as good as he is, and Luke on the ground is good. That dude is phenomenal on the ground. And there's a huge difference between his ground game and Paulo Costa's ground game. So, if I look at this fight, I go, this is not a bad fight for him. I understand why he's calling him out."
However, the three-time 'Referee of the Year' believes that if this fight stays standing, the Brazilian could come away with a knockout victory.
Check out the discussion below:
Will Luke Rockhold make one last push for UFC gold?
With his most recent win dating back to 2017, Luke Rockhold will be aiming to kickstart a winning run that ultimately leads him to a title shot when he returns.
The 185lb weightclass has been dominated by Israel Adesanya for some time now. A comeback from the former Strikeforce champion could be just the thing to spark life into the middleweight scene.
Getting his hand raised in his next fight could see Luke Rockhold sit within one win from a shot at 'The Last Stylebender' to reclaim his throne atop the division. The Californian also has his eyes set on a possible brawl with the controversial Sean Strickland before his career is all said and done.
Check out Rockhold's thoughts on Costa below: