Updated

Updated · UFC · Nov 15

Melquizael Costa Beats Jared Gordon by 29-28 Decision in UFC 334 Lightweight Return

Updated

Updated · UFC · Nov 15

Melquizael Costa Beats Jared Gordon by 29-28 Decision in UFC 334 Lightweight Return

Q: After shattering Ronda Rousey’s historic submission record, who is next in line to test Bia Mesquita’s undefeated UFC streak?

Ailin Perez appears to be the leading name Mesquita herself wants next. After submitting Macy Chiasson at UFC 334 and breaking Ronda Rousey’s women’s bantamweight submission record, Bia Mesquita did not have an officially announced next opponent. But in pre-fight comments tied to this event, Mesquita said that if the bantamweight title picture opened up, she believed “a title shot against Ailin Perez would be the perfect matchup.” That makes Perez the clearest “next in line” based on the available reporting, though it is still Mesquita’s preferred target rather than a confirmed booking by the UFC. Mesquita framed it in the context of a possible vacant-title scenario if champion Kayla Harrison and Amanda Nunes were no longer in the immediate picture. What is confirmed is that Mesquita’s case strengthened significantly at UFC 334. She improved to 4-0 in the UFC, all by submission, became the first woman in company history to start her UFC run with four straight submission wins, and moved past Rousey for the most submission victories in women’s bantamweight history. With that résumé, she has positioned herself for a major step up, and Perez is the opponent most clearly identified in connection with her next move.

Q: With multiple fighters missing weight at UFC 334, will Juan Diaz’s purse forfeiture overshadow his impressive 10-fight winning streak?

Probably not. Juan Diaz’s 20 percent purse forfeiture is a negative, but it is unlikely to overshadow a 10-fight winning streak capped by a clear 30-27 sweep over Alatengheili at UFC 334. The weight miss matters because it is part of a broader UFC 334 weigh-in story. Diaz came in at 136.4 pounds, 0.4 pounds over the non-title bantamweight limit with the one-pound allowance, and his fight proceeded at catchweight. In UFC terms, that is a real professional blemish, especially on a major Madison Square Garden card where Terrance McKinney’s much larger miss also drew attention. But Diaz’s in-cage performance gives the stronger headline. He controlled the striking throughout, landed more cleanly, and won every round on all three scorecards. That result pushed his streak to 10 and reinforced the view that he remains a rising bantamweight prospect, particularly after already making a strong UFC debut earlier this year. The scale miss may linger if it becomes a pattern. Fighters are judged not only on wins, but on reliability in making contracted weight. If Diaz misses again, the discussion will shift from one-off mistake to divisional fit and professionalism. For now, though, the result should carry more weight than the penalty. A narrow miss and a 20 percent fine are part of the story, but a dominant decision win and a 10-fight run are still the bigger takeaway from his night at UFC 334.

3 articles · Updated · UFC · Nov 15

Three 29-28 scorecards gave Melquizael Costa a unanimous-decision win over Jared Gordon in the UFC 334 prelims at Madison Square Garden.
Costa controlled the striking in rounds one and three, while Gordon’s grappling-heavy second round and early third produced little damage before Costa regained range late.
The victory marked a successful return to the 155-pound division for Costa, who had been climbing the featherweight ranks earlier this year.
Elsewhere on the prelims, Bia Mesquita submitted Macy Chiasson at 3:23 of Round 1 for her fourth straight UFC win and a record fourth consecutive submission by a woman in the promotion.