Vettori sees Rockhold ‘losing the few brain cells that he has left’ in UFC return

Luke Rockhold comes to his senses after being knocked out by Jan Blachowicz at UFC 239. | Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images

“I see Luke Rockhold losing the few brain cells that he has left in his brain, and just going…


UFC 239 Blachowicz v Rockhold
Luke Rockhold comes to his senses after being knocked out by Jan Blachowicz at UFC 239. | Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images

“I see Luke Rockhold losing the few brain cells that he has left in his brain, and just going to sleep badly for a few minutes.”

Marvin Vettori thinks Luke Rockhold’s best days are behind him and that the former UFC middleweight champion is making a huge mistake in coming out of retirement to face Paulo Costa at UFC 278.

Rockhold hasn’t fought since July 2019 when he was viciously knocked out by Jan Blachowicz at UFC 239. Prior to that, he was knocked out by Yoel Romero at UFC 221.

The 37-year-old is looking to make a statement in his UFC comeback but Vettori thinks Costa is going to knock him senseless.

‘The Italian Dream’ knows firsthand how dangerous of an opponent ‘Borrachinha’ is and thinks the Brazilian will be able to tee off on Rockhold’s chin at will.

Vettori sees Rockhold losing whatever brain cells he has left at UFC 278 and retiring from MMA for good.

“I see Luke Rockhold [LAUGHS] losing the few brain cells that he has left in his brain, and just going to sleep badly for a few minutes,” Vettori, who beat Costa via unanimous decision at UFC Vegas 41, told Helen Yee in a recent interview (h/t MMA News). “But yeah, I mean, they’re two guys whose stock is not high right now. So, it makes sense that they fight each other.”

UFC 278, which is expected to feature Costa vs. Rockhold on the main card, takes place on Aug. 20 at a TBA location.