The Perseverant Spirit of Alessandro Costa

Alessandro Costa once ran neighborhood bingo games and raffles to make ends meet. Never underestimate the power of a dream.

Now part of the rebuilt Ultimate Fighting Championship flyweight division, Costa will pursue his first win inside the Octagon when he meets Jimmy Flick in a UFC on ESPN 47 prelim this Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. The 27-year-old Brazilian Warriors and Lobo Gym representative finds himself on the rebound following a failed promotional debut in December, when a third-round knockout defeat to Amir Albazi at UFC Fight Night 216 closed the door on his career-best seven-fight winning streak.

“Every mature athlete will learn something from losses and find ways to evolve,” Costa told Sherdog.com. “I always look for ways to not commit the same mistakes and to come back stronger. I was booked at the last minute against a ranked opponent, and it was by first knockout loss. I learned much from that. I looked to change my habits. I’m looking to be more complete everywhere.”

Flick will be a difficult hurdle to clear. The former Legacy Fighting Alliance champion has rattled off four victories across his past five outings. Flick last appeared at UFC Fight Night 217, where he succumbed to elbows and punches from Charles Johnson in the first round of their Jan. 14 pairing. It was his first setback in nearly four years.

“He’s an experienced fighter, who won his Dana White’s Contender Series bout and already fought twice in the UFC,” Costa said. “He’s pretty comfortable in the promotion, but since he’s coming off a loss, we will both have the same goal, which is to win again so we can eventually make it up the rankings.”

The 32-year-old Flick has delivered 14 of his 16 professional victories by submission, including a flying triangle choke finish of Cody Durden at UFC Fight Night 183 in December 2020.

“He likes to go to the ground,” Costa said. “I don’t see his striking as being that dangerous. I trained a lot of jiu-jitsu and wrestling at the start of my camp. I feel ready in every facet. I believe I’m the more complete fighter. I don’t underestimate my opponent, but I feel confident. I’ve already debuted in the UFC, already fought at the Apex twice and already faced a ranked fighter. It makes me trust my work and want to show my full potential.”

While Costa aspires to someday rule the division in which he competes, he understands many potential pitfalls stand in his way. It starts with Flick.

“My plan is to keep working my way up my weight class,” Costa said. “Every UFC fighter dreams of being champion. I do, too. I don’t simply dream of being champion in the future; it’s my objective to be the flyweight champion. Of course, this won’t happen so soon. I know it’s going to take time, but that doesn’t discourage me. With each fight, I’ll prove [I have what it takes to] capture the belt one day.”