UFC 334: Jared Gordon vs Melquizael Costa Preview & Prediction

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Melquizael Costa moves up to lightweight against hometown veteran Jared Gordon at UFC 334 on the prelims.

Jared Gordon vs Melquizael Costa facts

What time are Jared Gordon and Melquizael Costa expected to walk out? 15 November 2026 at 12:15 am

Where is UFC 334: Gane vs Hokit? Madison Square Garden, New York City, USA

Where can I get tickets for UFC 334: Gane vs Hokit? Click here for the latest ticket information for UFC 334

What TV channel is UFC 334: Gane vs Hokit on? UK – TNT Sports / USA – Paramount

Where can I stream UFC 334: Gane vs Hokit? UK – TNT Sports can stream the event online via the TNT Sports website and HBO Max / USA – Paramount+ & UFC Fight Pass

UFC 334: Gane vs Hokit main card

Ciryl Gane vs Josh Hokit (Heavyweight)

Kayla Harrison vs Amanda Nunes (Women’s Bantamweight)

Caio Borralho vs Yousri Belgaroui (Middleweight)

Uros Medic vs Kevin Holland (Welterweight)

Bilal Hasan vs Luis Gurule (Flyweight)

UFC 334: Gane vs Hokit prelims

Stephen Thompson vs Charles Radtke (Welterweight)

Drew Dober vs Chris Duncan (Lightweight)

Jim Miller vs Terrance McKinney (Lightweight)

Donte Johnson vs Cesar Almeida (Middleweight)

Jared Gordon vs Melquizael Costa (Lightweight)

Macy Chiasson vs Beatriz Mesquita (Women’s Bantamweight)

Alateng Heili vs Juan Diaz (Bantamweight)

Evan Elder vs Samuel Sanches (Lightweight)

Jared Gordon: “Flash” fighting to stop the slide in front of his home crowd

Jared Gordon (21-9, 1 NC) heads into his hometown fight on a two-fight skid. Rafa Garcia stopped him with elbows in the third round last September, and Jim Miller caught him in a first-round guillotine in May. He’s a gritty veteran who arguably beat Paddy Pimblett, then dropped a split decision to Nasrat Haqparast. His boxing is sluggish and thudding rather than fast-twitch, and he does his best work plodding forward, dirty boxing and finding counters in ugly brawls. His boxing defence is average, and he’s heavy on his front foot, which leaves him very open to calf kicks.

Melquizael Costa: “The Dalmatian” brings his featherweight bag up to lightweight

Melquizael Costa (26-8) won six straight before Arnold Allen outpointed him over five rounds in May, and he’s now moving up to lightweight. That run showed every facet of his game. He knocked out Morgan Charriere with a head kick and Dan Ige with a spinning back kick, becoming the first man ever to finish Ige, and he submitted Andre Fili and Shayilan Nuerdanbieke. He’s a dynamic southpaw with a deep kicking arsenal and slick footwork, and his varied submission game and transitions make him dangerous on the floor too.

Jared Gordon vs Melquizael Costa prediction

Costa is the much better fighter all round, and he brings a lighter man’s skill set up from featherweight. Gordon’s advantage is the grit. His path is to make it ugly – clinch on the fence, dirty box and land short elbows to wear Costa down. I just don’t see him getting there often enough. Costa moves beautifully on the feet, and he won’t let Gordon close the gap easily.

At range it’s a mismatch. Costa has a three inch reach advantage, the far better outside striking and a much deeper arsenal, while Gordon is hittable and heavy on that front foot. The low kicks should tear up his legs, and once he slows down, the combinations will follow. Gordon has been stopped five times in his career, including by Garcia, so he isn’t the man you want standing in front of the first fighter ever to finish Dan Ige.

If Gordon changes levels instead, that’s a problem too. Against Garcia he threw an overhand into a leg pick and got caught in a guillotine, and Miller finished him with one in May. Costa guillotined Andre Fili in the first round. Wherever this goes, Costa should be the more confident man, and I think he finishes it. Costa is a lock to win.

Prediction: Melquizael Costa to win inside the distance