Flyweight action kicked off Saturday’s UFC 329 in Las Vegas, with Cody Durden facing off against Alessandro Costa.
Durden snapped a four-fight skid back in April, care of a decision victory over Jafel Filho. Costa was 2-0 in 2026, including back-to-back finishes and a Performance of the Night bonus.
It was a tentative start from both fighters, each looking to get a read with a high volume of feints and low kicks. Cody Durden was the more active early, working from the outside before the two collided in an explosive exchange around the three-minute mark. Alessandro Costa flashed a spinning kick that narrowly missed the head, clearly hunting for a highlight finish. He followed it up with a clean hook, but Durden stayed composed defensively, chopping at Costa’s lead leg while circling out of danger.
Durden looked to change levels with under twenty seconds remaining in the round, but Costa responded with excellent defense, turning the moment in his favor. Capitalizing on the opportunity, Costa unleashed a series of hooks that opened up Durden, stealing momentum as the round came to a close.
Costa carried that pressure into the second, once again marching forward. Durden attempted to spark something on the feet, but a mistimed high kick left him off balance after missing the target. Sensing the opening, Costa took advantage- locking in a body triangle, working to the back, and eventually securing a tight rear-naked choke to force the submission.
A statement performance from the surging flyweight Alessandro Costa, who improves to 17-5 as a professional and 5-3 in the UFC. On the other side, Cody Durden faces further adversity, falling to 18-11-1 and dropping five of his last six fights.
Official Results: Alessandro Costa def. Cody Durden via R2 SUB (RNC), 2:19
