Jared Gordon vs. Melquizael Costa
UFC 334 · November 14, 2026 · Madison Square Garden · Early Prelims 5:00 PM ET
The brief
- What kind of fight
- Featherweight power moving up vs. durable lightweight veteran
- Finish likelihood
- Medium
- The line
- No line posted yet
- The stakes
- Lightweight · Early Prelims
The read
Costa's size and finishing instincts should carry over well at the new weight, giving him a route to end this early if Gordon's chin shows any wear after a rough stretch.
Gordon's own boxing craft and grinding style have kept him competitive against far more decorated names, and that experience is live for as long as the fight stays standing.
A measured action fight between two veterans each trying to snap a skid.
The matchup
This is a pure bounce-back fight at 155 pounds between two men coming off losses.
Gordon, a durable veteran boxer who has spent his career mixing it up with far bigger names, was submitted by Jim Miller in his last outing, while Costa jumps up from featherweight carrying heavier hands and a more varied finishing resume after a decision loss to Arnold Allen.
Costa's power should translate at the new weight, but this is unfamiliar territory for him against a crafty veteran.
Tale of the tape
| 21-9-0 | Record | 26-8-0 |
| 37 | Age | 30 |
| — | Height | — |
| 68" | Reach | 71" |
| — | Stance | — |
| United States | Country | Brazil |
| Kill Cliff FC | Team | Chute Boxe |
The numbers
Career UFC averages. Red bar = statistical edge.
The fighters
Jared Gordon 21-9-0
“Flash”
Jared 'Flash' Gordon is a 37-year-old American lightweight who trains with Kill Cliff FC, a gritty boxer who has gone 21-9 across more than a decade on the regional and UFC scene. His record also includes a no contest not reflected in the win-loss total. He was submitted by Jim Miller at UFC 328 in May 2026, his second straight loss after a TKO defeat to Rafa Garcia the previous September, and he now meets Brazilian featherweight Melquizael Costa in a lightweight bout added to the card.
- LJim Miller · Submission (guillotine choke)UFC 328 · May 9, 2026
- LRafa Garcia · TKO (elbows)Noche UFC · September 13, 2025
- WThiago Moises · KO/TKOUFC Fight Night · May 17, 2025
Melquizael Costa 26-8-0
“Melk Cauthy”
Melquizael 'Melk Cauthy' Costa is a 30-year-old Brazilian who trains at Chute Boxe, the UFC's No. 12-ranked featherweight contender with nine knockouts and eight submissions among his 26 career wins. He dropped a unanimous decision to Arnold Allen in May 2026 after knocking out Dan Ige that February, and he now moves up to lightweight to face veteran Jared Gordon in a bout added to UFC 334's early prelims.
- LArnold Allen · Decision (unanimous)UFC Fight Night: Allen vs. Costa · May 16, 2026
- WDan Ige · KO/TKOUFC Fight Night: Ige vs. Costa · February 21, 2026