Since abandoning his forward pressure style, Costa has gone 1-3, after being 13-0 -- Why did he do it?

[DalchaLungiambula]

He's gone from a style that saw him throw 8.3 significant strikes per minute, down to 4.9.

It was noticeable in the Romero fight that he became gassed midway through the second round - the first man to survive his onslaught.

I'm guessing he realized that this approach was less viable against higher level opposition from this and adjusted accordingly.

Has it gotten to the point now though where him going away from what got him to the dance renders him almost no chance at all to beat anyone in the upper echelons.

He potentially won round 1, but was clearly losing it prior to a hail mary shot in the closing seconds.

His reach disadvantage is not conducive to sitting on the outside and trading shots.

Should he go back to the all duck, no dinner blitzkrieg, and risk getting finished late in 2nd regularly, to give him a chance to beat the top guys in the first 1.5 rounds?

 

[Davidjacksonjones]

He was never the same after Izzy molested him

 

[svmr_db]

He doesn't do great when he doesn't get to fight old guys like Rockhold & Romero or fat guys like Hendricks.

 

[mmamxfan]

It's the hair pills. He lost half of his hair during the Whittaker fight just from glancing blows against his scalp. The Cagefighter X (twitter) page showed clumps of black hair on the floor of the cage and also Whittaker's corner pulling it off his gloves in between the 2nd and 3rd rounds. Pretty crazy.

 

[House Baratheon]

It's the hair pills. He lost half of his hair during the Whittaker fight just from glancing blows against his scalp. The Cagefighter X (twitter) page showed clumps of black hair on the floor of the cage and also Whittaker's corner pulling it off his gloves in between the 2nd and 3rd rounds. Pretty crazy.

Can you post a link to the account?

 

[DalchaLungiambula]

It's the hair pills. He lost half of his hair during the Whittaker fight just from glancing blows against his scalp. The Cagefighter X (twitter) page showed clumps of black hair on the floor of the cage and also Whittaker's corner pulling it off his gloves in between the 2nd and 3rd rounds. Pretty crazy.

Link?

I can't find this.

 

[Sad Dad]

lol the hair thing has to be a joke right?

 

[RonDante]

I don’t dislike costa but he didn’t beat Romero , he’s funny and he put up a good fight against whittaker, I think he’s good enough to maybe be top 10, but not good enough to be top 5 unless he catches someone like he almost did whittaker

 

[FloydMayweatherMMA]

It's the hair pills. He lost half of his hair during the Whittaker fight just from glancing blows against his scalp. The Cagefighter X (twitter) page showed clumps of black hair on the floor of the cage and also Whittaker's corner pulling it off his gloves in between the 2nd and 3rd rounds. Pretty crazy.

That'd just side effects from the secret juice

 

[Contempt]

Simple, he started fighting higher level competition, realised they could seriously hurt him or finish him in ugly fashion like Izzy did.

...that'll make anyone be a bit hesitant.

 

[DalchaLungiambula]

Simple, he started fighting higher level competition, realised they could seriously hurt him or finish him in ugly fashion like Izzy did.

...that'll make anyone be a bit hesitant.

Yeah, but he fought aggressively vs iron-chinned power puncher Romero when he was a +140 underdog, but refused to do it against a glass-chinned Rockhold who was tailor made for that style, as a -400 favorite.

It's not just the level of opposition.

It's a total 180 on his approach to fighting.

Pime Costa would have marched Rockhold down and KOed him in a round; even Mike Perry was able to.

 

[usernamee]

Yeah, but he fought aggressively vs iron-chinned power puncher Romero when he was a +140 underdog, but refused to do it against a glass-chinned Rockhold who was tailor made for that style, as a -400 favorite.

It's not just the level of opposition.

It's a total 180 on his approach to fighting.

Pime Costa would have marched Rockhold down and KOed him in a round; even Mike Perry was able to.

maybe just doesn't have it in him anymore mentally

we see it all the time, fighters lose a piece of themselves in there and it can happen after just one fight

 

[DalchaLungiambula]

maybe just doesn't have it in him anymore mentally

we see it all the time, fighters lose a piece of themselves in there and it can happen after just one fight

He started this approach in the Adesanya fight before he had ever lost.

That's not it.

 

[usernamee]

He started this approach in the Adesanya fight before he had ever lost.

That's not it.

He broke mentally in the Adesanya fight. Honestly he started to wilt when they met up days before the fight. It looked like the moment was getting to him.

That could easily be the fight that it happened in.

 

[ipowerslapmywife]

He was never the same after Izzy molested him
View attachment 1030319

Even in that fight he didn’t pressure Izzy

 

[ipowerslapmywife]

Simple, he started fighting higher level competition, realised they could seriously hurt him or finish him in ugly fashion like Izzy did.

...that'll make anyone be a bit hesitant.

He quit against Izzy not really finished

 

[ipowerslapmywife]

He doesn't do great when he doesn't get to fight old guys like Rockhold & Romero or fat guys like Hendricks.

He didn’t do that great against rockhold and Yoel was still a killer

 

[Roids]

I was thinking the same. He used to be a force of nature, even Romero couldn't keep him off him but now he sits back and fights timid. He used to be a monster. Unless he goes back to that style he won't go far.

 

[Harlekin]

12 - 0 easier opponents
13 Razor close decision to old Yoel, first top guy
14 - 17 only top guys

Guess he is tired of being dead tired in the 3rd

 

[IronGolem007]

Yeah, but he fought aggressively vs iron-chinned power puncher Romero when he was a +140 underdog, but refused to do it against a glass-chinned Rockhold who was tailor made for that style, as a -400 favorite.

It's not just the level of opposition.

It's a total 180 on his approach to fighting.

Pime Costa would have marched Rockhold down and KOed him in a round; even Mike Perry was able to.

I agree with this take 100%

Izzy shattered Costa's confidence.

He has never been the same, or fought with that pressure style again.

Ruined.