30-Year-Old Costa from Brazil Earns Knockout Victory and $100,000 Performance of the Night Award
LAS VEGAS, April 6, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — The rise continues! Monster Energy congratulates MMA athlete Alessandro Costa on defeating Stewart Nicoll at UFC Fight Night in Las Vegas on Saturday night. In the Prelim fight contested in the flyweight division, the 30-year-old from Manaus, Brazil, earned the victory with a brutal knockout in round two. The stoppage via body punch also earned Costa the UFC’s $100,000 Performance of the Night bonus.
UFC Fight Night 272: Moicano vs. Duncan was contested in front of a live crowd inside the Meta APEX facility in Las Vegas. Featuring a total of six bouts on the Main Card, the event was broadcast live on the Paramount+ service.
Stepping into the Octagon in Las Vegas, Costa (15-5) was looking to recover from a loss to Alden Coria at Noche UFC in September 2025. Costa sustained a foot injury during the fight and returned in full fighting shape to get back on the win column.
Costa’s opponent, 31-year-old Nicoll (8-3) from Redcliffe, Australia, lost his most recent fight to Lucas Rocha at a UFC Fight Night in October 2025. Both fighters came to Vegas looking to emerge as the winner – but there can only be one!
The fight started on a balanced note as both fighters looked for openings to land shots without exposing themselves to danger. Early on, Costa found success with damaging body shots, causing Nicoll to switch focus on protecting his core. Using every opportunity to break through, Costa also started landing jabs to the head and stepped into the second round, determined to get the finish.
The fight unraveled close to the end of Round 2 when Costa rocked Nicoll with a brutal left hook to the liver. Nicoll immediately tumbled to the canvas, and Costa pursued with quick ground-and-pound. But the damage was done! Referee Chris Tognoni stepped in to end the fight at 4:56 minutes, pronouncing Costa the winner by TKO. The show-stopping finish also earned Costa a $100,000 Performance of the Night bonus.
“What you saw tonight is exactly what we planned during training,” said Monster Energy’s Costa in his interview at UFC Fight Night 272.
Costa made his UFC debut in 2022 and quickly turned heads by earning consecutive Performance of the Night bonuses for knockout victories over Jimmy Flick and Kevin Borjas. All his wins in the UFC now come from TKO finishes. Keep an eye on Costa as he advances through flyweight division rankings!
Monster Energy’s elite UFC athletes include Alex Pereira, Belal Muhammad, Dricus Du Plessis, Merab Dvalishvili, Valentina Shevchenko, Weili Zhang, Marlon Vera, Justin Gaethje, Brandon Moreno, Johnny Walker, Sean Strickland, Dan Ige, Diego Lopes, Daniel Zellhuber, Derrick Lewis, Alexa Grasso, Raul Rosas Jr., Tatsuro Taira, Shara Magomedov, Maycee Barber, Aaron Pico, Jasmine Jasudavicius, Kayla Harrison, Malcolm Wellmaker, Mansur Abdul-Malik, Manuel Torres, Joshua Van, Reinier de Ridder, Alessandro Costa, Esteban Ribovics, and Youssef Zalal.
For more on Monster Energy’s MMA athletes, visit www.monsterenergy.com. Follow Monster Energy on YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, X, and TikTok.
For interview or photo requests, contact Kim Dresser.
About Monster Energy
Based in Corona, California, Monster Energy is the leading marketer of energy drinks and alternative beverages. Refusing to acknowledge the traditional, Monster Energy supports the scene and sport. Whether motocross, off-road, NASCAR, MMA, BMX, surf, snowboard, ski, skateboard, or the rock and roll lifestyle, Monster Energy is a brand that believes in authenticity and the core of what its athletes and musicians represent. More than a drink, it’s the way of life lived by athletes, bands, believers, and fans. See more about Monster Energy including all of its drinks at www.monsterenergy.com.
CONTACT: Kim Dresser C: (949) 300-5546 E: kim.dresser@indiepragency.com
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