Overview
- The UFC confirmed the featherweight matchup as part of 11 fights announced for the Feb. 21 event at Houston's Toyota Center headlined by Sean Strickland vs. Anthony Hernandez.
- MMA Fighting first reported the Ige–Costa booking, which Costa later confirmed before the UFC made it official.
- Ige enters ranked No. 14 at featherweight with a 19-10 record, coming off a decision loss to Patricio Pitbull after a TKO win over Sean Woodson.
- Costa is 25-7 overall and 6-2 in the UFC following a four-victory 2025 highlighted by a 74-second head-kick knockout of Morgan Charrière.
- The matchup is widely framed as a gatekeeper test that could push Costa into the rankings or help Ige reinforce his spot among established contenders.