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Paulo Costa believes he got the better of Marvin Vettori in the entertaining main event of UFC Fight Night 196. The 30-year-old said he thought he had done enough to convince the judges to score the fight in his favor.
Costa and Vettori collided in a five-round light heavyweight bout at the UFC Apex in Nevada earlier today. The Italian walked away victorious via unanimous decision, with all three judges scoring the contest 48-46 for Vettori.
"I really don't understand why the judges saw that result. I really believe I won," Paulo Costa said during post-fight press conference.
At a crucial moment in the fight, Costa had one point deducted due to an eye poke. Referee Jason Herzog claimed he had warned the Brazilian not to outstretch his fingers earlier in the fight.
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The No.2-ranked middleweight did not agree with the referee, claiming he wasn't warned prior to the incident.
Costa added that he wasn't the only fighter to throw an illegal strike during the bout. Vettori landed a knee to Costa's groin in the third round, but 'The Eraser' continued fighting instead of asking for a break.
Watch UFC Fight Night: Costa vs. Vettori post-fight press conference:
Paulo Costa praises Marvin Vettori
After sharing the octagon for 25 minutes with Marvin Vettori, Paulo Costa has newfound praise for the Italian's durability.
Costa said he tried his best to finish Vettori, but the Italian's quick foot movement didn't allow him to do so.
"Marvin is very durable. He surprised me because he felt (my shots), but he could recover and come back to fight. I couldn't finish him because he stepped back, he closed his guard very well, and he kept moving, so I didn't find one shot to finish that fight... This is a good point for him."
Paulo Costa has now lost two consecutive fights in the UFC. His last outing was opposite reigning middleweight king Israel Adesanya in October 2020, which he lost via second-round TKO.
