Protect yourself at all times – even if you’re the referee.
Such was the situation Saturday at UFC Fight Night 233 after Steve Garcia brutally finished Melquizael Costa with a bombardment of strikes in their featherweight bout at the UFC Apex.
In the opening moments of the second round, Garcia (21-6 MMA, 4-2 UFC) and Costa (14-6 MMA, 1-2 UFC) engaged in a scramble, at which point Garcia dropped Costa with a knee and right hand. From there, Garcia moved all in for the finish with an array of punches, hammerfists and elbows, which bloodied up Costa.