Dan Ige - Melquizael Costa: (February 22, 2026): statistics, personal meetings, and bookmaker odds

Current form

Dan Ige comes back under the spotlight after a difficult stretch. In July, he lost to Patricio Pitbull by decision of the judges — the fight turned out to be viscous and without fire. Before that, there was a knockout over Sean Woodson, but there were still questions about the course of the fight. His UFC balance is 11-9, and his overall record is 19-10. The experience is enormous, the list of opponents is serious, but there is a nuance that comes up every time we talk about it — protection from takedowns.

On paper, it's 56 percent. In reality, these are alarming signals. The pit bull converted it five times out of nine attempts. Leron Murphy has completed three successful transfers out of five. Yes, the control was not time-killing, but the very fact of system transfers indicates a problem. Previously, 34-year-old Ige had to survive under pressure from Bryce Mitchell and Movsar Evloev. And if the opponent is persistent, he finds his way to the stalls.

Current form

The year 2025 for Costa is acceleration at full power. Four wins per season, two knockouts, bonuses, brightness. The finishing touch is a kick to the head in the first round against Morgan Charrier. Before that, there was a confident streak, including an early victory over Shaililan Nurdanbike. The only misfire in the recent past was the fight with Steve Garcia, but that episode didn't unsettle him either.

The accuracy of takedowns is 38 percent. Not space. But it works by volume. Almost two transfers per fight — and in an equal match this is already a serious argument. Kosta is active, diverse, knows how to punch and kick, and feels confident in the stalls. At the age of 29, he has 24 wins: seven by knockout, nine by decision, eight by submission. It's not just statistics, it's variability.