Alessandro Costa Targets Third Knockout in 99 Days at UFC 329

Brazilian flyweight fighter Alessandro Costa will face Cody Durden at the UFC 329 event taking place this Saturday in Las Vegas. Costa has been drawing attention with his impressive recent performances and is focused on securing his third knockout victory within 99 days. The fighter gained significant momentum in his career by stopping Stewart Nicoll in April. He then proved his strength once again by defeating Matt Schnell via first-round technical knockout in June. Now, after a short preparation period, he will step into the cage to compete on the International Fight Week card headlined by Max Holloway and Conor McGregor.

Costa's ability to compete in the cage again in such a short time is due to his previous fights ending quickly and not sustaining any injuries. The young fighter states that he constantly keeps his weight low and is always ready for a new offer from the organization. In his statement to MMA Fighting, Costa expressed that at the point they are currently at, opportunities come at the most unexpected moment, and he believes this will be a huge year for him. Stepping in for Ode Osbourne to compete on this major card clearly demonstrates his value in the eyes of the UFC management. He is preparing to fight with all his strength to make the most of this opportunity and take his career to the peak.

His opponent, Cody Durden, recently secured a surprise victory against Jafel Filho and has made a name for himself. However, prior to this win, he had a very inconsistent record, losing six of his previous seven UFC bouts. Durden is described as having an aggressive style, risking everything and mixing his strikes with wrestling and ground fighting. Costa, relying on his dangerous jiu-jitsu and boxing skills, believes this fight will bring tremendous excitement to the fans. As demonstrated by the fact that he only absorbed eight significant strikes against Schnell, the Brazilian fighter plans to showcase his defensive solidity in this tough bout.

Having secured all four of his UFC victories via knockout throughout his career, Costa was rewarded with performance bonuses in three of those fights. The 30-year-old fighter, who currently lives in Mexico, has already set his sights on the Noche UFC event planned for September. Costa competed at the Noche event held in San Antonio last year, where he lost to Alden Coria by decision and could not forget that night headlined by his teammate Diego Lopes. Costa plans to demand the right to face ranked opponents if he wins on Saturday. His goals include a rematch against Tim Elliott and Amir Albazi, the latter of whom defeated him in his UFC debut match.

Costa stepped into his first UFC career match after only a ten-day preparation period and lost to Albazi at that time. However, he now believes he is much better prepared than in those days and has shown significant physical and technical improvement. This fight, which will take place on the preliminary card of UFC 329 at T-Mobile Arena, means opening a new chapter in his career. The fighter, who is at the peak of his form, has set the ambitious goal of competing in four or even five bouts in 2026. For all these plans to come true, he needs to defeat Cody Durden and once again put on a magnificent performance for his fans.