Featherweights Julian Erosa and Melquizael Costa kicked off the UFC Vegas 106 main card on Saturday at the Apex in Las Vegas.
Erosa was coming in off three straight wins, as was Costa, meaning someone’s win streak was about to come to a crashing halt.
Erosa started out as the aggressor, forcing Costa to fight off his back foot near the fence. Both fighters exchanged good inside low kicks that scored points for each. Costa found brief success with a low oblique kick, before following up with a body kick and straight left hand that rocked Erosa. Julian was able to regain his composure before falling down on an elbow attempt. Costa pounced on Erosa and landed a few solid ground and pound strikes before Erosa returned to his feet.
Costa seemed to be the quicker and more athletic of the two when standing. Erosa continued to walk forward putting pressure on the young Brazilian prospect. With thirty seconds left in the round, Erosa was able to secure a body lock takedown dragging Costa to the floor. A very competitive round, but the damage done by Costa may have been enough to sway the opening frame in his favor.
The second round started off with Erosa walking into a big left hand but continuing to pressure Costa towards the fence. Erosa shot underneath a strike thrown by Costa and again succeeded with a takedown attempt. Costa threatened a guillotine choke off his back allowing him to scramble back to his feet. Erosa was able to hold his opponent against the fence for a substantial amount of time before Costa separated and landed a straight left hand. Costa connected with a front kick to the face and was looking much sharper in the striking. Erosa threw a spinning back kick to the body before attempting another takedown, but was reversed by Costa who scrambled back to his feet again. A flying knee attempt by Costa and a few good punches near the end of the round also scored points for the 28 year old contender.
Entering the third round Erosa could very easily be down 2-0. Coming out with a renewed sense of urgency, Erosa marched forward once again looking for a takedown against the cage. Costa was able to defend landed multiple clean and crisp shots while circling to the outside. Both of these fighters were known as credentialed grapplers, but they were engaging in an all action slugfest in the middle of the third round. Erosa started to throw winging hooks from his hips looking for a big shot to land. Costa was able to get out of the way of most of the strikes and connect with slicing elbows on the inside. The relentless pace and pressure of Erosa was seeming to play a factor in the third round, as the longtime UFC veteran was looking for a comeback win.
With a minute left in the round both fighters exchanged blows in the clinch with each having to dig deep for whatever energy they had left. Erosa attempted two spinning backfists in desperation as the horn sounded ending round three. A fantastic round and one of the best five minutes of fighting this calendar year so far. Going to the judge’s scorecards all three judges unanimously saw the fight in favor of Costa 29-28. This win marks the third in 2025 for Melquizael Costa, who is quickly gaining the attention of fight fans around the world. Costa dedicated his win to a friend he recently lost, and asked for a Fight of the Night bonus.
Official Result: Melquizael Costa def. Julian Erosa by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
