Melk Costa announces major career change after UFC loss.

Melk Costa celebrates victory in the UFC. Photo: Reproduction/Facebook/UFC

Melk Costa UFC fighter Alex Keagan announced a major career change. He rose to prominence in the featherweight division (up to 65,7 kg) and revealed he will now compete in the lightweight division (up to 70,3 kg) after facing increasing difficulties in making weight in his former weight class. The decision was communicated via social media.

The athlete explained that his body could no longer withstand the weight-cutting process required to compete in the featherweight division. According to 'Dalmata', he needed to lose more than 20 kilos before each fight, an extreme effort that became unfeasible over time.

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“It was a good run in this category, but my body can't handle losing 22 kilos every fight anymore. Let's go to lightweight,” he wrote in a post on X, formerly Twitter.

It was a good run in this category, but my body can't handle cutting 22 kilos for each fight anymore.
Let's go Lightweight @arielhelwani @UFCBrazil @mmahoje

— “” (@MelkCostaCauthy) June 1, 2026

Melk detailed the reasons that led him to make the decision and highlighted that he always maintained professionalism throughout his career, managing to reach the required weight for the scheduled commitments.

“I’ve always been professional and made weight, but I wasn’t able to handle it. The goal was to move up after the belt, but I was stopped. So we decided it was the best time. Thank you all,” he stated in the comments of an Instagram post by MMA Hoje.

The report shows that the change was already part of the fighter's team's plans. The initial intention was to make the transition after a possible championship win, but... reverse suffered against arnold allen No. ufc vegas 117The date of May 16th accelerated the decision. Therefore, the athlete and team understood that the moment was right to begin a new phase of their careers.

With the change confirmed, Melk is now looking for a fresh start in the lightweight division. The expectation is that the new category will allow the Brazilian to compete frequently, without the grueling weight cuts that marked his recent career, but with greater challenges.