Melquizael Costa feels he’s entering a different stage of his career Saturday, coming off of a bonus-winning victory in another main card appearance at UFC Vegas 112.

The Brazilian featherweight has won his past four fights, with the last three coming in a span of under 60 days, and he battles Morgan Charriere full of confidence that this is his shot at showing off his talent to fans who have yet to see him in action.

“I love doing this,” Costa told MMA Fighting. “For me, going in there to throw down is a walk in the park. And getting paid for it? It’s like paid sparring [laughs].”

Costa had a “chaotic” year in 2024. His back was against the wall following a 1-2 start in the UFC, but it all changed with a third-round submission of Shayilan Nuerdanbieke. Costa predicted he would fight four times in 2025, and can now go 4-0 if victorious at the UFC APEX.

“I’m ready to beat the champion,” Costa said. “I don’t see anyone — anyone — in the division beating me. If you give me a date, ‘You’ll fight the champion and have two months to prepare,’ I’m ready. ‘You get one month,’ I’m ready, too. Thank God, I got to the UFC ready. I had some personal issues, physical issues, several factors that made me not perform well, but I’m ready to fight anyone in the division. And I say it, I beat everybody. Whoever they throw at me, I’ll beat them up.”

The 29-year-old isn’t interested in just facing big-name opponents to prove his point, he wants the toughest adversaries possible at their best.

“Honestly, I wouldn’t like to fight Calvin Kattar or Giga Chikadze because they’re in the rankings but are declining,” Costa said. “Not disrespecting them, they’re good guys, but… I like fighting new guys, guys with hype. ‘We’ll give you Jean Silva.’ Done, let’s throw down. ‘We’ll give you Lerone Murphy.’ Man, I’ll tell you, I even feel like fighting Aaron Pico. He’s not ranked but he came in with hype. Throw him at me. I like fighting problems. … We’re prepared, but we’re under the radar. The difference is I’m not the hyped guy, I’m the guy who beats the hyped guys. I’m the guy who, when the fight ends, people say, ‘Damn, who is this dude?’”

Costa anticipates “a good brawl” with Charriere, a French featherweight who has captured bonuses in four of his five octagon appearances. The former Cage Warriors champion is 3-2 so far in the UFC, and Costa said he’s “the first guy I’m fighting that I really don’t like” because Costa claims he initially denied the fight was in the works.

After a busy 2025, Costa wants to stay active in 2026, and he’s open to a quick jump to lightweight if need be. Costa has some names in mind for featherweight, too, and is shooting his shot even if it may not make sense ranking-wise.

“If the UFC tells me they’ll throw me against a top 10 guy mid-year, fine — then give me a lightweight fight now in the meantime,” Costa said. “I want to test myself and have a war at lightweight. Not move up permanently, but after fighting Morgan, which will probably be very bloody [laughs], I want another war to test myself. Either give me a top 10 or give me a lightweight fight. I want to stay active, you know? I don’t want to permanently move to 155 but I want to do some fights to see what it’s like there. I want to get to know lightweight territory. Guys like Matt Frevola, or that other guy who loves a war too, Jesus Aguilar. I want a guy who loves a brawl, you know?”

“If the phone rings, man, I’m going,” he continued. “Jean Silva and Arnold Allen are fighting, and if they want me on standby, I’m in. [Alexander] Volkanovski and Diego Lopes. People say, ‘Melk, you’re aiming too high.’ Bro, I used to sell popsicles back in Porto de Moz, three days by boat to Belem, saying I was going to be a UFC fighter and nobody believed me. You think now that I’m in the UFC I’m not going to say it? I’d beat anybody, man. Whoever they throw at me, I throw down [laughs].”