Overview
- Costa announced the move on Monday in a social media post saying his body “can’t handle cutting 22 kilos” to make the 145‑pound limit.
- The decision follows a unanimous loss to Arnold Allen that ended Costa’s six‑fight win streak and comes as he sits at No. 12 in the UFC featherweight rankings.
- Costa is 26‑8 overall and 7‑3 in the UFC, with prior fights at lightweight that include losses to Thiago Moises and Steve Garcia.
- The UFC has not named his next opponent and outlets are speculating about possible matchups with ranked names like Beneil Dariush or established unranked lightweights, but those names remain unconfirmed.
- Moving up removes Costa from his current featherweight standing and could preserve his health while forcing him to rebuild in a deeper lightweight field where immediate title paths are less direct.