Melquizael Costa reveals anxiety crisis before renewing UFC deal, signing for Andre Fili fight
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Melquizael Costa finally returns to the octagon after a 253-day hiatus, and there was a time he thought his UFC career could be over.
This Saturday, Costa faces Andre Fili on the preliminary portion of UFC Seattle. He beat Shayilan Nuerdanbieke in his most recent UFC appearance back in June 2024, tapping the Chinese featherweight in the third round after a fun back-and-fourth contest. That was the final bout of Costa’s first four-fight deal with the promotion, and it took a while before he was offered a new contract.
“I’m a very anxious person, brother,” Costa told MMA Fighting. “I even had anxiety crisis. There were days I called my master at 2:00 in the morning. I couldn’t sleep. I had four fights [in the UFC], won two and lost two, and thought they would renew it, but it wasn’t coming. You only truly believe it when you sign it.”
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Costa lost a short-notice lightweight bout to Thiago Moises in his UFC debut and then returned to his original weight class to go 2-1, a stoppage loss to Steve Garcia sandwiched between wins over Austin Lingo and Nuerdanbieke.
“I follow the MMA world and often see someone get released, and when I check their record they’re coming off a win,” Costa said. “You heart starts to race, you know? I’m thinking, ‘My God, am I going back to square one?’ I started to think about my daughter, so it really was very distressing. And money’s running short. I thought of applying to work for Uber, go back to teaching again, otherwise I would starve. Almost a year [living on] one purse.”
Costa said he managed to calm down by November, believing that God would find him an answer. He changed his diet to stay lighter and be able to take fights on shorter notice, and the new UFC contract—and bout agreement—eventually came.
“I was waiting to fight since June and was like, ‘brother, the first one I fight will be in trouble’. and [Fili] is next. Sorry, son, it’s ending badly for you,” Costa said. “This is going to be the biggest name I’ll beat so far because I lost to Thiago Moises [laughs]. I’m always mapping out fighters I could fight one day, and Fili was one of the names. He already fought ‘Tubarao’ [Joanderson Brito] and I studied him a lot at the time when I was helping Tubarao in sparring. I’m excited to fight a good name, to fight someone that likes to punch and get punched. It’s going to be awesome. But if he wants to go to the ground, we’re ready [laughs].”
Costa said Fili has changed his fighting style since getting knocked out by Brito in just 31 seconds back in April 2022 and in a way that surprised him.
“He used to retreat more back in the day, and now he’s walking forward,” Costa said. “It’s kind of weird because people usually slow down when they get hit and their chin isn’t the same anymore. He’s not a brawler, not the type of fighter to get hit in the head, and it appears that his chin isn’t the same anymore. But he has good striking. I like to think more of what he likes to do best instead of his weaknesses.”
“I think I’ll finish him,” he continued. “I’m working really hard, and I want to trade hands with him. But if he tries to take me down, or if we end up on the ground, I have more cards up my sleeve. I’m so anxious for this fight.”
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Check out the best photos from Melquizael Costa’s first-round submission win over Andre Fili at UFC Fight Night 252 at Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle. (Photos by Steven Bisig-Imagn Images; via UFC; MMA Junkie)
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‘Dumbest move ever’… UFC veteran roasted over putting himself in submission choke in Seattle showdown
We’re six fights into UFC Fight Night: Cejudo vs Song in Seattle – with all six of the preliminary card bouts (so far) ending in some type of stoppage.
After five nasty knockouts in a row, Brazilian standout Melquizael Costa secured the first submission win of the night against 36-fight veteran Andre Fili.
Unfortunately for ‘Touchy’ Fili, who has been a UFC fighter for almost 12 years, fans on social media aren’t happy with the manner in which that first-round stoppage occurred.
On the UFC Seattle prelims, popular Brazilian contender Melquizael Costa scored the biggest win of his professional career as he tapped out Andre ‘Touchy’ Fili with a guillotine choke in the very first round.
By itself, that result wouldn’t catch many fans by surprise – with Costa being a seasoned grappler with seven (now eight) submission wins on his record; however, how he got to the choke has raised one or two eyebrows.
Fili was expected to keep the fight firmly within his preferred realm, i.e., on the feet. Yet the UFC veteran opted to shoot in for an early takedown, before moving his head on the inside of Costa; essentially giving up his neck for the submission.
UFC lightweight contender Renato Moicano was one of the first to react to the strange submission, writing on X: “Unbelievable, he put himself in the guillotine.”
Comments of “High level stuff,” “The guard was wide open,” and “Don’t know why he took him down, that was pretty stupid ngl,” can be found in the reply section of that post.
One day trial type stuff
Similar sentiments are being shared across social media; with fans simply noting that Fili is far too experienced of an MMA fighter to be making such a rookie error.
Fili said “here bro take my neck”.
“Fili made a massive mistake right there,” wrote one fan, with another adding “That was really embarrassing” and also, “Andre Fili just made the dumbest move ever m—— has 40 UFC fights and still makes debutant mistakes.”
Andre Fili just put himself into the guillotine and didn’t fight against it at all.
Good win for Costa #ufc
Speaking to Michael Bisping in the octagon, Costa was understandably over the moon to have made the most of such an enormous opportunity so early into his fledgling UFC career.
“To me, it was an honor to have the opportunity to fight Andre Fili. Back in the day, when I was in the countryside of Brazil so far removed from this and I watched him fight Max Holloway – it was an honor to be able to share the octagon with him.”
When asked whether he was surprised to see Fili shoot for a takedown when his submission game was so well-known, Costa praised the UFC veteran as being as ‘well-rounded’ as they come.
“I think he’s a complete fighter, I know that he’s good at striking but we know his timing; he’s been at this for a long time, so he knows how to play the game – including on the ground.”
So, when does Costa want to make his return? Well, if he had his way, he’d be competing on next weekend’s UFC Fight Night card at The Apex.
“Hey Dana, if you need me next week – CHAMA!”
Costa is now 22-7 as a professional and 3-2 under the UFC banner.
