How AgentMMA breaks down Melquizael Costa vs Jared Gordon
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Melquizael Costa brought some nasty kicks to his wins over Morgan Charriere and Dan Ige, and that is the first thing to watch against Jared Gordon at UFC 334. Both finishes came in round 1, with a head kick against Charriere and a spinning back kick against Ige. Then Arnold Allen took him through 5 rounds and beat him by unanimous decision. Gordon also comes in with something to fix after consecutive losses to Rafa Garcia and Jim Miller. Garcia stopped him with elbows from side control, while Miller caught a guillotine from bottom guard in round 1.
- Costa returns after Allen halted a run of nasty finishes.
- Gordon needs a reset after consecutive losses to Garcia and Miller.
- Kicking room and clean entries could decide where this gets messy.
Round 1 is the likeliest flashpoint because both have finished opponents there and rushed entries can open dangerous gaps.
But remember the Thiago Moises fight: Gordon ended that one with a punch at distance in round 1, so treating him as harmless would be a mistake. Here's the thing: Costa needs room to get those kicks moving, while Gordon cannot afford to rush into range without a clean entry. Gordon's finish of Mark Madsen with a clinch punch gives him a reason to seek closer exchanges, but simply getting close does not solve everything. His recent ground losses make safe positioning and keeping his neck protected a real part of this matchup.
At Madison Square Garden, both are trying to change the conversation after a loss. Watch who controls the space first, because the route from kicking range to the clinch could get messy fast.
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Loading secure checkout…Melquizael Costa
Melquizael Costa finish map
UFC Record Breakdown
Melquizael Costa breakdown
Performance Breakdown
Melquizael Costa's recent form
Melquizael Costa brought some nasty kicks to his wins over Morgan Charriere and Dan Ige, and that is the first thing to watch against Jared Gordon at UFC 334. Both finishes came in round 1, with a head kick against Charriere and a spinning back kick against Ige. Then Arnold Allen took him through 5 rounds and beat him by unanimous decision. Gordon also comes in with something to fix after consecutive losses to Rafa Garcia and Jim Miller. Garcia stopped him with elbows from side control, while Miller caught a guillotine from bottom guard in round 1.
- Costa returns after Allen halted a run of nasty finishes.
- Gordon needs a reset after consecutive losses to Garcia and Miller.
- Kicking room and clean entries could decide where this gets messy.
Round 1 is the likeliest flashpoint because both have finished opponents there and rushed entries can open dangerous gaps.
But remember the Thiago Moises fight: Gordon ended that one with a punch at distance in round 1, so treating him as harmless would be a mistake. Here's the thing: Costa needs room to get those kicks moving, while Gordon cannot afford to rush into range without a clean entry. Gordon's finish of Mark Madsen with a clinch punch gives him a reason to seek closer exchanges, but simply getting close does not solve everything. His recent ground losses make safe positioning and keeping his neck protected a real part of this matchup.
At Madison Square Garden, both are trying to change the conversation after a loss. Watch who controls the space first, because the route from kicking range to the clinch could get messy fast.
Premium analysis preview is ready.
Loading secure checkout…Jared Gordon
Jared Gordon finish map
UFC Record Breakdown
Jared Gordon breakdown
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Jared Gordon's recent form
