It’s time to put some respect on Melquizael Costa’s name in the UFC featherweight division.
Costa (26-7) recorded his sixth straight victory on Saturday at UFC Fight Night in Houston and did so in spectacular fashion inside the Toyota Center by becoming the first fighter to finish veteran Dan Ige (19-11).
The 29-year-old from Brazil scored the sixth spinning back kick knockout in UFC history when he caught Ige ducking down to avoid a potential punch that put him directly in line for the kick. Referee Dan Miragliotta leaped in to stop the fight at 4:56 of Round 1 as Costa likely secured a top-15 ranking at 145 pounds.
“I told everybody this week, I just fought a legend,” Costa said. “No one has been able to finish him and I said that I was going to do that. I was able to do it.”
After Ige scored an early takedown, Costa quickly scrambled back to his feet and began to wear Ige down in the clinch with knees to the body. From there, Costa showcased his full offensive bag by stunning Ige with a front kick to the face and going to the body with a variety of strikes that led up to the finish.
Costa extended his win streak that began following a second-round knockout loss to Steve Garcia in 2023. Of his six wins on his current run, four have come by stoppage.
After the fight, Costa called out a former two-time featherweight title challenger who was sitting Octagonside.
“There is a guy here that you all love and I love, too,” Costa said. “Diego Lopes, let’s go at it.”
Ige, a 34-year-old native of Hawaii, suffered his fifth loss in his last seven fights.
