Moving on up: Melquizael Costa makes divisional debut at UFC 334 – vs. stiff test

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Melquizael Costa is headed on up.

At UFC 334, Costa (26-8 MMA, 7-3 UFC) will make his divisional debut against Jared Gordon (21-9 MMA, 9-8 UFC). The event takes place Nov. 14 at Madison Square Garden in New York and streams on Paramount+.

Two people with knowledge of the matchup recently confirmed the booking to MMA Junkie after an initial report Friday by Ag. Fight, but asked to remain anonymous as the promotion has yet to make an official announcement.

Costa, 30, had a breakthrough year with four wins in 2025 and carried his momentum into 2026 with a fantastic first-round TKO performance against Dan Ige. However, his six-fight winning streak came to a halt in his first UFC main event as he lost a unanimous decision to Arnold Allen. After the fight, Costa announced he would no longer compete at featherweight due to difficult weight cuts.

Gordon, 38, is nearing the 10-year anniversary of his UFC signing. Over the past near-decade, Gordon has competed against seasoned veterans and rising prospects alike. He enters UFC 334 in need of a win, having been finished in back-to-back outings against Rafa Garcia and Jim Miller.

The UFC 334 fight card now includes:

  • Champion Ciryl Gane vs. Josh Hokit – for heavyweight title
  • Champion Kayla Harrison vs. Amanda Nunes – for women’s bantamweight title
  • Caio Borralho vs. Yousri Belgaroui
  • Uroš Medić vs. Kevin Holland
  • Bilal Hasan vs. Luis Gurule
  • Drew Dober vs. Chris Duncan
  • Melquizael Costa vs. Jared Gordon
  • Stephen Thompson vs. Charles Radtke
  • Donte Johnson vs. Cesar Almeida
  • Jim Miller vs. Terrance McKinney
  • Macy Chiasson vs. Bia Mesquita
  • Adrian Yanez vs. Juan Diaz
  • Nazim Sadykhov vs. TBA
  • Evan Elder vs. Samuel Sanches

This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: Moving on up: Melquizael Costa makes divisional debut at UFC 334 – vs. stiff test