It has taken Melquizael Costa nearly nine years to arrive at his desired destination.
In this exclusive interview with Sherdog.com, Costa details his rise to the UFC and discusses his inspirations, his battle with a skin disease, his looming battle with Moises and some of the lessons he has learned along the way:
Sherdog.com: How did you get into fighting initially?
Costa: I started training first as a joke and then I continued because I thought it would help me beat people up. Later, I found out that street fighting wasnāt allowed. Thatās when I started to focus on it more and started enjoying it more. The joke was the fact that I didnāt look like a fighter. I was very skinny. I loved to pick fights, but I was also afraid of fighting. I got invited by a friend to do some boxing sparring. At first, I was hesitant. The boxing gloves looked like they weighed a ton. I wore full protective gear. I took one punch and got knocked out. I woke up thinking how cool this was. Later, another friend invited me to train jiu-jitsu. I didnāt know what it was. He said it was all about submissions, no punching. I noticed that he had an injured hand. I asked if we should go ahead with the practice. He said he only needed one hand to submit me. He appealed to my ego. We went for it, and I got submitted. I signed up for classes so I could have my payback. It never actually happened. At first, I would get beat up at my academy. I could only attend during the time scheduled for professional fighters. I insisted so much [that] they let me join. I had to run the gauntlet. I got beat up day after day, until they realized I wouldnāt give up. They let me continue. I skipped basic martial arts. I started out getting beat to hell. I did it the hard way by joining the professional classes. I was only 13, but it was great for my career. I became much stronger and tougher. Iāve always been small and thin in my fights, but I would always beat my opponents.
Sherdog.com: Did you get emotional or financial support in your chosen career?
Costa: My family wasnāt too supportive. They felt I was too skinny for it. The only support came from my brother. Unfortunately, he died at a worksite accident in 2013. After his passing, I made up my mind that I had to honor his death by conquering my objectives. I would join jiu-jitsu competitions with only a one-way ticket. Sometimes Iād sign up without having the money to do so. We couldnāt afford training equipment. We would even share mouthguards at the gym. Gloves? First come, first served. Wraps? We had no idea about that. Weād kick each other without shin guards. We figured it was good to build calluses. After my brother died, I competed in my first jiu-jitsu championship, but I had always wanted to fight [in] MMA. When I was 17, I lied to the promoter and said I was actually 18, and that was my first professional bout. When I decided to go pro, I was told to choose between fighting and studies, but I didnāt give up on either one. I started selling popsicles on the street. Iād leave home early and go to school. After school, Iād grab my popsicle cart, take a bath at home and go back out to the street. My skin is sensitive, but I didnāt mind. After sales, around 6 or 7 p.m., Iād rush back home to grab my gi and go train at the academy. That was my routine. I didnāt have any real financial help, other than from my instructor, Master Sapao. The funny thing was that the fight had only seven daysā notice. I had just moved back from another town, and I was told they needed someone for a fight. We had a training partner who was buff but a little scared. My master knew that I wasnāt afraid to fight, so he put me in as a replacement. He asked me if I could cut the weight in seven days. I had never done it before. I said yes. I went there. We had a war. I won by decision. To this day, I havenāt been able to live only from fighting yet. I still wake up at 5 a.m. every day to teach classes.
Sherdog.com: Has having vitiligo been an additional challenge for you?
Costa: Being a fighter helped me a lot in regards to vitiligo. I suffered from that as a child. People would walk past me and clean themselves off. It started to affect me mentally during my teen years. I started to close myself off from the world. I would never take off my shirt. I was ashamed of my own body. In the state of Para, sometimes itās [104 degrees]. I still refused to take off my shirt. I didnāt want to have my photo taken. Fighting took care of all that. During a training session, a [220-pound] training partner told me to take my shirt off. Plus, every gym takes photos at the end of every training session, so it became more natural. Vitiligo has been part of my whole life. Itās been there through my losses and wins. It was also there when I was bullied, when I let it bother me. Today, I canāt see myself without it. Itās my mark. Itās who I am. Itās very cool when I fight, and people tell me, āMy son had vitiligo and wouldnāt leave his room, but now youāre his inspiration.ā Iām happy to show the world that vitiligo is nothing strange. Some people like to make fun of it, and some on the receiving end donāt know how to deal with it. I didnāt know how. As a child, if someone famous or important had vitiligo, I may not have gone through all that. I know that people have been making fun of the fact that I have two colors. I think itās funny. It doesnāt bother me. Itās mean, but I laugh at it. It seems like every time I fight, I get a new nickname. Iām used to it. People are creative. The way I see vitiligo is this: Something that used to be a serious mental problem today is a solution. Iām happy to help a young person who may be ashamed of their body due to an autoimmune condition. I like to show the world that weāre normal people.
Sherdog.com: Are you familiar with Scott Jorgensen and did his tenure in the UFC impact you in any way?
Costa: Fighting helped me overcome many obstacles. I used to be a bit anxious. My father didnāt have an education, so anything I would think of a career, my father would say it wasnāt possible. I wanted to be a police officer or maybe a doctor, and he felt I wouldnāt be able to do it because of my vitiligo. I used to love playing video games. When I played the UFC game, I saw someone full of spots: Scott Jorgensen. I didnāt know if that was some sort of prank. I did some research, and I found out he was a real UFC fighter. I realized that I, too, could be a UFC fighter.
Sherdog.com: What was your most memorable fight?
Costa: Every fight is important to me. The most memorable one was in 2016. I had been beating everyone around my town. I was told by my coach that we were done with the interior of the state. We needed to go to Belem next. We went to Belem, thinking we could make a living from fighting. Reality was something else. Once there, I was booked with 20 daysā notice to fight at [bantamweight]. Around that time, I weighed [172 pounds]. The guy was really tough. I was asked if I could make weight. I said I could. We ran out of money, even for food. I was down to mortadella and yuca flour. I had a war with Jonas dos Santos. I won, but I almost died cutting weight. Every time I stepped into the hot tub, Iād end up passing out. We didnāt have any sort of coach to help with that. We did things on the fly. The funny thing is that during that fight, someone in attendance saw me and referred me to my current coach at Chute Boxe: Grandmaster Joao Emilio. When coach Emilio put together a team around 2017 or 2018, he brought me in because of that fight.
Sherdog.com: What lessons have you learned from your few losses?
Costa: Losses are always bitter, but I have faith in God. I know that everything happens at the right time. All my wins were against very tough opponents, and all my losses were against easier ones. Iām not underestimating anyone, just commenting on their records. I lost due to stupid stuff like lack of focus. Those losses helped strengthen my mind. Every time I listened to my coach, things worked out. Every time I didnāt listen to him, things went poorly. I learned to do things his way. Heās been in the fight world for a very long time. When we joined Chute Boxe Bauru, he made it clear that he would never get us easy fights. He didnāt train us for easy fights. We had to face tough opponents. We werenāt supposed to pad our Sherdog records. Thatās how it went. We only fought brick walls. We bang it out during our training sessions. Iāve always enjoyed that. When I joined the gym, I saw that all my partners were equally crazy. Only we understand each otherāguys like Matheus da Silva Severino, Joanderson Brito and me. No one else fights each other like we do.
Sherdog.com: What can you say about your opponent?
Costa: Thiago is a complete fighter. His wrestling and jiu-jitsu are very good. Heās also a good striker. The main difference is that I know him, but he doesnāt know me. Iām looking forward to a war. Itās how I like to train. We bang it out every day. I like to get punched in the face. I like to punch people in the face, too. Itās great. I love it so much. Iām feeling right at home.
Sherdog.com: How are you feeling debuting as the underdog against an established UFC fighter?
Costa: To tell the truth, Iām feeling at home. My whole life, Iāve been the underdog. I feel great when Iām the underdog and when Iām booked at the last minute. Wow, Iām going to fight Thiago Moises. Iāve rooted for him many times. Heās good. I enjoy his style. I feel if heās as hungry as I am, it will be an explosion of strikes. Everything is in place for a great fight.
Sherdog.com: How was your preparation for this fight?
Costa: You can see that my fighting style changed a little in my last fight. I made improvements. Everyone at LFA was surprised with the way I fought. I train at Chute Boxe Bauru in the state of Sao Paulo, and we just made a partnership with the Ohana academy in Texas. I spent some time there. In truth, I never stop training. Our coach has high expectations for us. Being in the UFC doesnāt excuse you from training. I visualized getting into the UFC this year. I visualized my debut being a war. There is someone else in the UFC Iād also like to fight, but Iām not going to ask for anything since I havenāt even had my debut yet. My dream is to have a war in the Octagon. I want to end up with a bloody face. I want both of us to have busted up faces. I want us to strike back and forth until all the fans are on their feet.
Sherdog.com: What inspires and motivates you?
Costa: My late brother was a big inspiration in my life. Thankfully, I made it to the UFC. Today, I have yet another motivation. Thatās my daughter. Sometimes I wake up tired, and I see my daughter. I have no choice but to go to war for her. I also want people to know my hometown: Porto de Moz in the state of Para. It takes three days to get there by boat from the state capital. Itās almost impossible that someone from there would end up in the UFC. A highlight of my life wonāt be Bruce Buffer saying my name; it will be when he calls out my hometown.