Alessandro Costa made a statement at UFC 329, submitting Cody Durden and immediately turning his attention to a rematch with Amir Albazi.
Costa finished Durden with a rear-naked choke in the second round after cutting Durden's head, capping the opening bout of the prelims at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The win pushed Costa to 17-5 in MMA and 5-3 in the UFC, and marked his third consecutive flyweight victory of 2026, all by stoppage.
In the aftermath, Costa said he now feels positioned to call his shot. "I think it's more than the time has arrived – I have that voice now and the choice to pick somebody," Costa said.
His target is clear: the man who handed him a knockout loss in his promotional debut in late 2022. "I think fighting Amir Albazi would be great. I took that fight on short notice, on two weeks' notice, and I'm more than ready for that rematch to happen," Costa said, noting he stepped in after Albazi lost opponents Alex Perez and Brandon Royval.
Costa also floated a specific stage for the potential second meeting. "If he's ready to fight, I'd love to fight him at Noche UFC (in September). That's one I'd love to have up next."
