Melquizael Costa is proving to be one of the UFC`s most active fighters. He began a whirlwind period in February by flying to Seattle and securing a swift submission victory over Andre Fili in the first round.
Just a few weeks later, he was back in action in Mexico City, this time earning a decision win against Christian Rodriguez.
This Saturday in Las Vegas, Costa is set to step into the octagon once more, facing Julian Erosa. A win would mark his third straight victory within a remarkable span of only 85 days, just shy of a personal record set early in his MMA career in Brazil.
Speaking about his demanding schedule, Costa told MMA Fighting, “The only thing that sucks is the weight cut. If it wasn’t for that I could fight every weekend, like the Thai [boxers].” He`s contemplated moving up in weight for this very reason, stating, “I’m sure I’ll move up, it won’t take long, but I think I still have two or three years left at 145 to do some damage, win the belt, beat everybody up and then move up to 155.”
Costa`s UFC journey has seen shifts in weight class. He initially took a short-notice fight at lightweight, resulting in a loss. He then moved to featherweight and won, before returning to lightweight for another loss. Since then, he has cemented his place at featherweight, achieving three consecutive wins, including two finishes.
“The biggest issue for me is the weight cut,” Costa reiterated regarding his high activity level. He has managed to refine his diet, making his weight lighter pre-cut, but the process remains challenging. “The body always goes back up after the cut,” he explained, adding, “As for the fight itself, thank God I wasn’t injured in any of these [recent] fights. I like being this active.”
Costa views his upcoming opponent, Julian Erosa, as being quite large for the featherweight division and anticipates Erosa will eventually move up. He wasn`t hesitant about taking the fight on a quick turnaround, particularly because Erosa also fought recently, finishing Darren Elkins on April 12th.
When asked about taking the fight so soon after his last bout, Costa quipped, “I took this fight because Julian Erosa fought after me. If it was someone who had like three months to prepare, I don’t think I would have taken it. [I’d have said] ‘Let me get some rest.’ Nah, I’m lying, I think it’d still have taken it [laughs]. But it’s a good thing that Julian Erosa fought after me, you know?”
Erosa has a significant amount of Octagon experience, with 9 wins in 16 appearances and six finishes, stopping his last three opponents in the first round. Costa sees the matchup favorably from a stylistic perspective and expects Erosa to try and take the fight to the ground.
Predicting the flow of the fight, Costa said, “It’s going to be fun because he walks forward and likes to trade on the feet. He has good guillotine just like me, so let’s see who locks it first.” Despite Erosa`s size, Costa believes he`ll close the distance. “We’ll trade kicks and eventually he’ll try to take me down. Everybody does, man. In the end, everybody wants to take me to the ground [laughs].” However, Costa remains highly confident in his grappling: “If he goes to the ground he’s dead, man. That’s my area.”
