Moises’ 2022 run was not anything much, but he should be able to
get the ball rolling to kick off the new year. Still just 27 years
old, Moises came to the UFC as a much more consistent fighter than
his youth would suggest, having built a crafty style around
counterstriking and leveraging his ability as a submission threat.
The Brazilian’s UFC tenure got off to a bit of a rough start thanks
to some tough matchmaking—Beneil
Dariush and Damir
Ismagulov were difficult tests for two of Moises’ first three
UFC fights—but he eventually found his way to a three-fight winning
streak, capping it with a one-sided victory over Alexander
Hernandez. That earned Moises a main event slot, which
unfortunately happened to come against Islam
Makhachev, who put on the expected strong performance to earn a
dominant win. Moises then finished off 2021 with a disappointing
effort against Joel
Alvarez that blew open most of the holes in his style.
Alvarez’s size and speed allowed him to pour on offense before
Moises had much of a chance to find a groove. However, Moises
pivoted and showed a much more aggressive form in his lone fight of
2022, running through Christos
Giagos in a way that suggests he will be in better form going
forward. Initially slated for a fight against Guram
Kutateladze, Moises now takes on a UFC newcomer and Brazilian
countryman. Costa is a solid prospect who has earned the shot with
a strong resume, and “Melk” should be able to find some wins during
his UFC tenure. Costa is a well-rounded athlete with some knockout
power and some grappling skill. However, this does look like a
tough first test inside the Octagon. Even if Moises does not
continue to bring his newfound aggression, Costa’s own aggressive
style should lead him into some clinch and grappling exchanges
where the favorite is at his best as an opportunist. The early
knockout is a worry, but the pick is Moises via first-round
submission.
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