Alessandro Costa earned a efficiency bonus by defeating Stewart Nicol with a left hook to the liver in April and has agreed to compete in opposition to Matt Schnell at UFC Vegas 118 on June 6 with lower than 10 days discover. He’ll then fly to Washington, D.C., to nook his good friend Diego Lopez on the UFC White Home on June 14th, hoping to get one other end to raise his spirits.
Lopez will face Steve Garcia on June 14 on a historic card on the White Home garden, and Costa mentioned Lopez’s current knockout and Alexa Grasso’s spectacular efficiency in opposition to Macy Barber per week in the past are motivating your complete group.
“Our crew is getting again on its toes,” Costa informed MMA Combating. “It began with Alexa. She gave me an attractive knockout, or a submission, or each on the identical time. I talked to her for per week. She was texting me and inspiring me. Her win actually motivated me. I used to be very, very excited. And I felt this power, like all the things was going to be okay.”
Costa mentioned the crew selected to put gamers on separate playing cards to permit full concentrate on every participant, and it paid off with two bonuses. “That is how our crew works very nicely,” he mentioned, including, “Now it is Diego’s flip.”
“Diego has the identical vibe,” Costa mentioned. “He is actually wholesome and blissful. We’re not underestimating our opponent. We all know there is a cause why he is within the rankings. Diego could be very pleased with these two outcomes and it is a huge motivation for him. He is excited too. He is doing a fantastic job. I informed him, “You are subsequent. It’s a must to do as a lot or higher than we did. You are the chief of the crew, you must do extra.” I believe he took that as extra motivation.
When known as as much as substitute Imanol Rodriguez in opposition to Schnell, Costa was a well-recognized opponent as he was supporting Diego Lopez in camp in Oklahoma. The 2 have been scheduled to satisfy in September 2024, however the Brazilian needed to withdraw because of harm. Costa requested that the bout be fought at 130 kilos as a result of setting a flyweight restrict on brief discover “could be sophisticated.”
“Schnell is a really skilled man,” Costa mentioned. “He is additionally in TUF, and he is been there for various years, however I do not assume his sport has developed a lot. He is the identical fighter he was three or 4 fights in the past. My confidence is far stronger now. He is successful in opposition to powerful opponents. That is the important thing. After all, I am not underestimating him. No. I understand how harmful he’s. Rather a lot has modified for me within the final two years. I’ve gained a variety of expertise by wins and losses. The great factor was that I had already completed a particular camp for him, so I simply acquired again to the sport plan.”
Costa is 3-3 below the UFC banner, with all three wins coming by knockout, all of which advantage efficiency bonuses. He has but to obtain his six-figure bonus verify for his newest win, as he takes a post-fight drug check and is simply paid after the outcomes come again clear, however the UFC has already joked that he may change that quantity to $200,000 and add the bonus to his subsequent win at UFC Vegas 118.
“Bonuses change an athlete’s life, particularly now that the bonus is $100,000,” Costa mentioned. “I nonetheless cannot get it out of my head. I received final time and now I am hungry for extra.”
