This Saturday, Costa faces Andre Fili on the preliminary portion of UFC Seattle. He beat Shayilan Nuerdanbieke in his most up-to-date UFC look again in June 2024, tapping the Chinese language featherweight within the third spherical after a enjoyable back-and-fourth contest. That was the ultimate bout of Costa’s first four-fight take care of the promotion, and it took some time earlier than he was supplied a brand new contract.
“I’m a really anxious particular person, brother,” Costa instructed MMA Preventing. “I even had anxiousness disaster. There have been days I known as my grasp at 2:00 within the morning. I couldn’t sleep. I had 4 fights [in the UFC], gained two and misplaced two, and thought they might renew it, nevertheless it wasn’t coming. You solely actually imagine it whenever you signal it.”
Costa misplaced a short-notice light-weight bout to Thiago Moises in his UFC debut after which returned to his unique weight class to go 2-1, a stoppage loss to Steve Garcia sandwiched between wins over Austin Lingo and Nuerdanbieke.
“I comply with the MMA world and sometimes see somebody get launched, and after I test their document they’re coming off a win,” Costa mentioned. “You coronary heart begins to race, you recognize? I’m pondering, ‘My God, am I going again to sq. one?’ I began to consider my daughter, so it actually was very distressing. And cash’s operating quick. I considered making use of to work for Uber, return to educating once more, in any other case I might starve. Nearly a yr [living on] one purse.”
Costa mentioned he managed to relax by November, believing that God would discover him a solution. He modified his food regimen to remain lighter and be capable to take fights on shorter discover, and the brand new UFC contract—and bout settlement—finally got here.
“I used to be ready to struggle since June and was like, ‘brother, the primary one I struggle will likely be in hassle’. and [Fili] is subsequent. Sorry, son, it’s ending badly for you,” Costa mentioned. “That is going to be the largest identify I’ll beat to date as a result of I misplaced to Thiago Moises [laughs]. I’m at all times mapping out fighters I may struggle sooner or later, and Fili was one of many names. He already fought ‘Tubarao’ [Joanderson Brito] and I studied him quite a bit on the time after I was serving to Tubarao in sparring. I’m excited to struggle a very good identify, to struggle somebody that likes to punch and get punched. It’s going to be superior. But when he desires to go to the bottom, we’re prepared [laughs].”
Costa mentioned Fili has modified his preventing type since getting knocked out by Brito in simply 31 seconds again in April 2022 and in a method that shocked him.
“He used to retreat extra again within the day, and now he’s strolling ahead,” Costa mentioned. “It’s sort of bizarre as a result of individuals often decelerate once they get hit and their chin isn’t the identical anymore. He’s not a brawler, not the kind of fighter to get hit within the head, and it seems that his chin isn’t the identical anymore. However he has good putting. I prefer to assume extra of what he likes to do greatest as an alternative of his weaknesses.”
“I feel I’ll end him,” he continued. “I’m working actually onerous, and I need to commerce arms with him. But when he tries to take me down, or if we find yourself on the bottom, I’ve extra playing cards up my sleeve. I’m so anxious for this struggle.”
