Las Vegas — Coming off a body shot KO victory to start 2026, Brazilian flyweight Alessandro Costa is stepping up against Matt Schnell on just over a week’s notice at UFC Vegas 118 this Saturday.
The short-notice nature (Costa replaces Imanol Rodríguez) has necessitated a catchweight, but Costa for one sees this particular booking as less dangerous than other short-notice affairs.
“I understand there’s experience out there. I’m not underestimating him at all. I understand he’s a tough opponent, but I do see a lot of opportunity for me to win,” Costa (15-5) told media outlets including Cageside Press during the UFC Vegas 118 media day this week. “Actually this is a fight that was scheduled two years ago, I did an entire camp for him already so I don’t even see the problem with taking this fight on short notice, because things were prepared for before.”
The fight also puts Costa on track to achieve his goals in 2026.
“I had the plan of fighting at least three times this year, so we’re on our path out there. I really had a plan to fight in Oklahoma City, since we’ve been training in Oklahoma a lot too.”
The Oklahoma City card arrives later this summer. Even if he misses that, Costa has plenty of time to fight once more by the end of 2026.
Helping others train for their camps has Costa feeling ready, and starting the year with a big win “gives me the confidence right now,” he added. “You want to be healthy, and I’m feeling healthier than ever. Also I do feel like the mindset, mind and body are ready to go. I’m feeling very happy about this. Happy with the opportunity to make things happen and to follow suit on the plan that I have for the year.”
Watch the full UFC Vegas 118 media day appearance by Alessandro Costa above.