Melquizael Costa Vows to Knock Out or Submit Jared Gordon at UFC 334

Gordon is a New York native fighting in his hometown. He has competed in the UFC for nearly a decade and won half of his 18 octagon appearances. He arrives on a two-fight skid, losing to Rafa Garcia and Jim Miller.

Costa rejected the idea that the matchup was a favor from the promotion. "I see a lot of people saying the UFC gave me a gift, but I think the UFC gave me a high-level fight," he said. He called Gordon "a badass" with "very heavy hands" and a good ground game.

He also expects a hostile crowd. "I’ll also be going up against the motivation the crowd is going to give him," Costa said.

Why the move to lightweight

Costa went 5-0 in 12 months at featherweight before the Allen loss, which came in a UFC main event. He says the weight cut to 145 pounds held him back. Short-notice bookings often left him with little game plan beyond making weight, he said.

At lightweight, he says he can train more technically and spar without the injuries that came from heavy cardio work. He has fought opponents near that size before, including before joining the UFC, and has lost two fights at 155 pounds in the octagon.

One pre-fight analysis noted that Costa is eight years younger, with a 3-inch reach advantage. It gave Gordon the grappling edge: he has won the grappling battle in 11 of 15 UFC fights. Costa has won it in two of nine, though the analysis called his guillotine choke dangerous.

The same analysis pointed to a common opponent. Gordon knocked out Thiago Moises in the first round in 2025, while Moises took Costa down four times and submitted him in the second round in 2023.

Costa said a quick finish would put him back in the cage soon. "If the fight ends quickly, I’m already ready for December, to close out the year at T-Mobile," he said, referring to UFC 335. "I want to work, brother."

Costa, 30, has fought professionally since 2014 and has set a retirement goal of 35. He is not pushing for a title by year's end. "I’m going to be a UFC champion," he said. "It’s not a dream, it’s a fact."