Melquizael Costa

Melquizael Costa da Conceição (; born September 14, 1996), sometimes known as Melk Costa, is a Brazilian professional mixed martial artist. A professional since 2014, he currently competes in the Featherweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). Costa formerly competed in the Legacy Fighting Alliance (LFA), Predator FC, SFT Combat, Titans FC, Future MMA, and SFC. As of September 19, 2026, he is #12 in the Meta UFC featherweight rankings.

Background Melquizael Costa da Conceição was born and raised in Porto de Moz, in the interior of Pará. At the age of four, he developed vitiligo, an autoimmune condition that causes the loss of skin pigmentation. During his childhood, Costa was the target of bullying and social isolation; many people in his town confused the condition with leprosy, which often led parents to keep their children away from him. The prejudice led him to hide his body under long-sleeved clothing and avoid social interactions.

At age 13, looking for a way to defend himself, Costa began training in boxing and, later, Brazilian jiu-jitsu. The gym environment became a refuge where he was welcomed by his training partners, which helped him accept his body. Initially, he faced financial hardships, even selling popsicles on the streets to balance his studies and pay for his training. The decision to focus on a professional MMA career was solidified after he saw former fighter Scott Jorgensen, who also has vitiligo, in a UFC video game, proving to Costa that reaching the promotion was possible. His biggest sports supporter was his older brother, Natanael, whose death in a workplace accident in 2013 pushed Costa to make his professional debut at age 17 to honor his memory.

Mixed martial arts career Early career Costa made his professional MMA debut at 17 years old. In 2016, he moved to the city of Belém looking for better opportunities in the regional circuit. During this period, his hardships led him to be discovered by coach João Emilio, resulting in his relocation to Bauru, São Paulo, and his affiliation with the Chute Boxe Bauru team.

On August 18, 2018, Costa fought for the Demolidor Fight 13 lightweight championship against Rafael Barbosa. During the third round, Costa was caught in an arm-triangle choke and lost consciousness. The referee, Emerson Saez, failed to notice that Costa was out and let the fight continue for almost two minutes, while Costa even suffered seizures in the cage. His opponent realized the situation and loosened the grip on his own, which Costa later stated saved his life. He was hospitalized after regaining consciousness in the cage but was released the next day without severe injuries.

He compiled a record of 19 wins and 5 losses in the regional circuit fighting in the bantamweight, featherweight, and lightweight divisions. During this run, Costa won the Predator FC Featherweight Championship in Mexico. He also competed in the Legacy Fighting Alliance (LFA), where he secured his UFC spot after a third-round technical knockout win over Jose Cleiton de Melo Jr. at LFA 147 in November 2022.

Ultimate Fighting Championship Costa made his UFC debut replacing Guram Kutateladze on short notice in a lightweight bout against Thiago Moisés at UFC 283 on January 21, 2023. He lost the fight in the second round via submission due to a face crank.

He made his promotional featherweight debut and returned to the division against Austin Lingo at UFC on ESPN 49 on July 15, 2023. He won the fight via unanimous decision.

Costa was scheduled to face Steve Garcia at UFC on ESPN 52 on December 2, 2023, but the bout was cancelled during fight week after Garcia fell ill. The matchup was rescheduled for the following week at UFC Fight Night 233 on December 9, 2023. He lost the fight in the second round via technical knockout after receiving repeated elbows.

Costa faced Shayilan Nuerdanbieke at UFC on ESPN 58 on June 15, 2024. He won the fight in the third round via submission due to a face crank.

Costa faced Andre Fili at UFC Fight Night 252 on February 22, 2025. He won the fight in the first round via submission with a guillotine choke.

Making a quick turnaround, Costa faced Christian Rodriguez at UFC on ESPN 64 on March 29, 2025. He won the fight via unanimous decision.

Costa faced Julian Erosa at UFC Fight Night 256 on May 17, 2025. He won the fight via unanimous decision. This win earned him his first Fight of the Night bonus award.

Costa faced Morgan Charrière at UFC on ESPN 73 on December 13, 2025. He won the fight via knockout in the first round with a head kick.

Costa faced Dan Ige at UFC Fight Night 267 on February 21, 2026. He won the fight in the first round via technical knockout with a spinning back kick and punches, marking the first time Ige was stopped in a mixed martial arts bout. This fight earned him his first Performance of the Night award.

Costa faced Arnold Allen, headlining his first event at UFC Fight Night 276 on May 16, 2026. He lost the fight by unanimous decision.

Moving to Lightweight, Costa is scheduled to face Jared Gordon on November 14, 2026 at UFC 334.

Personal life Costa has lived with vitiligo since his childhood. He uses his visibility in MMA to act as an advocate for awareness about the condition, supporting children who face discrimination. As a way to fight back against the bullying he suffered growing up, he adopted the nickname "The Dalmatian". In his fights, Costa often expresses his visual identity by dyeing his hair in different colors and painting his face in various ways, notably referencing the dog breed during the official weigh-ins at UFC Seattle.

Of Afro-Brazilian descent, Costa is married to his wife, Cintia Larissa, and has two children (a daughter and a son).

In early 2025, Costa revealed he suffered an anxiety crisis due to financial struggles and a delay in his contract renewal with the UFC. During this period, he even applied for a job as a driver for Uber to support his family, before finally signing the deal to face Andre Fili.

Championships and accomplishments

Ultimate Fighting Championship Performance of the Night (One time) Fight of the Night (One time)

Predator Fighting Championships Predator FC Featherweight Championship (One time, former)

MMA Mania 2025 #5 Ranked Fight of the Year

Mixed martial arts record

|Win |align=center|19–5 |Junior Melo |TKO (punches) |LFA 147 | |align=center|3 |align=center|2:00 |Sloan, Iowa, United States

See also List of current UFC fighters List of male mixed martial artists

References

External links

Melquizael Costa

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