Melquizael Costa closed out a career year in electric fashion at UFC on ESPN 73 with a devastating head kick knockout against Morgan Charriere.
Costa (25-7 MMA, 6-2 UFC) became the first to stop Charriere (21-12-1 MMA, 3-3 UFC) with strikes in MMA competition when in the first round of the featherweight bout at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, he landed a precious left head kick that broke the guard of his opponent and instantly put him unconscious at the 1:14 mark of Round 1.
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It was a thrilling performance to put a cap on a 4-0 year for Costa, and you can watch the reply of the highlight finish below (via X):
With a six-fight winning streak overall at 145 pounds, Costa trails only Lerone Murphy (nine) and Movsar Evloev (eight) for runs of consecutive victories in the weight class.
After the performance that put him alongside Joshua Van as the only UFC fighters to go 4-0 in 2025, Costa said he is looking to carry his momentum into an even bigger year in 2026.
“This year I’ve been working a lot,” Costa said in his post-fight interview with Michael Bisping. “I want the top 15 (in 2026), then a top 10 then the last of the year, the belt.”
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Up-to-the-minute UFC on ESPN 73 results include:
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Melquizael Costa def. Morgan Charriere via knockout (head kick) – Round 1, 1:14
This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: UFC Vegas 112 video: Melquizael Costa closes 4-0 year with vicious KO
