Costa Submits Fili at UFC Seattle
Andre Fili met Melquizael Costa in a featherweight bout at UFC Seattle on February 22, 2025. Costa won by first-round submission at Climate Pledge Arena.
Costa submitted Fili in the first round
At Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle, Costa defeated Fili by guillotine choke at 4:30 of the opening round. The result was part of UFC Fight Night: Cejudo vs. Song on February 22, 2025. The UFC’s official preliminary results record the finish.
The fighters’ form before the bout
Fili entered the matchup after a split-decision win over Cub Swanson at UFC 303 in June 2024. Costa’s preceding UFC appearance was a win over Shayilan Nuerdanbieke at UFC Fight Night: Perez vs. Taira in Las Vegas. The UFC’s Fili preview and event page provide background on the Seattle card.
What the Seattle Result Meant
Costa’s previous win over Nuerdanbieke had also come by submission, with a face crank ending their June 15, 2024 contest at 1:50 of the third round. Finishing Fili in Seattle therefore gave him consecutive UFC victories by submission, this time completing the job before the first five-minute round expired. His earlier UFC results included a decision win over Austin Lingo and a stoppage defeat against Steve Garcia in 2023.
For Fili, the event had a local connection as well as competitive importance. He grew up in Federal Way in the Seattle metropolitan area before moving to the Sacramento area. UFC’s fight-week feature described the trip as a return to a place closely connected to his upbringing. That background added significance to the assignment against Costa, even though the result went against him.
The matchup ultimately turned on Costa’s ability to capitalize on the exposed neck and secure the guillotine. It provided a decisive finish on the preliminary card rather than sending the featherweights to the scorecards. Costa’s official UFC record lists both submission victories.
