Overview
- Alessandro Costa defeated Matt Schnell by first‑round TKO on Saturday at UFC Fight Night 278, finishing the prelims at the Meta APEX in Las Vegas.
- Schnell announced his retirement on Sunday in an Instagram post that said he would rest and advocate for the next generation after nearly 15 years as a pro.
- He leaves the sport with a 17‑11 professional record and a 7‑9 mark in the UFC after losing five of his last six fights, most of them by stoppage.
- This is Schnell’s second retirement after briefly laying his gloves in the cage following a September 2024 loss before returning to compete three more times.
- Costa praised Schnell after the fight and has publicly requested a ranked flyweight as his next opponent to turn the victory into ranking momentum.