Dan Ige vs Melquizael Costa — Fight recap

Melquizael Costa stopped Dan Ige via KO/TKO in the first round at 4:56 on February 21, 2026, with referee Jacob Montalvo officiating. Despite landing 7 of 11 significant strikes (63% accuracy) and controlling the cage for 1:31, Ige was unable to weather Costa's assault.

Costa connected on 19 of 40 significant strikes (47%) while scoring one knockdown—the decisive blow that ended the fight. Costa also secured a perfect takedown (1 of 1) and landed heavy body work, connecting on 7 of 9 body strikes.

The striking disparity told the story: Costa's volume and power overwhelmed Ige's early accuracy, with Costa landing more total significant strikes despite the lower percentage. The rapid finish suggests Costa's featherweight ranking trajectory continues upward while Ige faces questions about his position in the competitive 145-pound division.