Fighters on the Rise | UFC Austin

The last time we saw Avila, the “Raging Panda” got herself back into the win column after her first true loss to Sijara Eubanks with a dominant, third-round submission win over Julija Stoliarenko in the summer of 2021.

Pregnancy and the arrival of her daughter prompted the ranked bantamweight to press pause on her fighting career, but after more than two years away, the 35-year-old is slated to make her return this weekend in a critical clash against former champion Miesha Tate.

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Avila is 9-2 overall in her career, having posted quality wins over Marion Reneau and Nicco Montano before touching down in the UFC, and Pannie Kianzad, Gina Mazany, and Stoliarenko since. She’s always exhibited good power for the division and sharp finishing instincts, with two-thirds of her victories coming inside the distance, and profiled as someone capable of ascending to contender status prior to her hiatus.

If Avila wants a little inspiration when it comes to fighters returning from an extended hiatus, she need not look any further than her fellow UFC Austin competitor Hardy, who marched into the Octagon after three years and four days on the sidelines and dominated recent TUF winner Juliana Miller in March at UFC 286.

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Hardy reached the UFC with an unblemished record back in 2016, but went 1-4 over her first five outings, bouncing between bantamweight and flyweight and never really finding a rhythm. She was 20 years old when she made her short-notice promotional debut, and as we’ve talked about time and again in this space and others, it’s exceptionally difficult to excel at this level in your early 20s.

Hardy is only now in the early stages of her athletic prime at 28, and it was clear in her win over Miller in London that she levelled up her skills in her time away. Having settled in at flyweight and utilizing quality footwork, she thoroughly out-worked Miller in all three rounds to get back into the win column, showcasing quality fundamentals in the striking game and more overall comfort inside the Octagon than she had in the past.

Saturday night, Hardy is again slated to open the show, this time opposite undefeated Canadian Jamey-Lyn Horth.

The 33-year-old from Squamish, British Columbia debuted up a division with a decision win over Hailey Cowan, pushing her record to 6-0 in the process. She claimed championship gold in both LFA and Battlefield Fight League prior to ascending to the biggest stage in the sport, and should serve as a quality measuring stick opponent for Hardy this weekend in Austin.

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It’s going to be fascinating to see what the Venezuelan-born flyweight is able to do as an encore following her impressive return to action earlier this year. She is a quality athlete, benefits tremendously from working alongside her husband, former welterweight title challenger Dan Hardy, and is the kind of “post-hype sleeper” that could put together a couple wins and start making a little noise in the 125-pound ranks over the next couple years.

Melquizael Costa

Costa returns for his third start of 2023 and second consecutive appearance in his natural featherweight surroundings, stepping in with Dana White's Contender Series alum Steve Garcia on Saturday's prelims.

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Selected to replace Guram Kutateladze on short notice up a division opposite Thiago Moises at UFC 283 in January, the 27-year-old Brazilian held his own initially with his more experienced compatriot before succumbing to a second-round rear-naked choke. But six months later, Costa returned to the Octagon and the 145-pound weight class, registering a dominant, decisive victory over Austin Lingo to collect his first UFC victory.

What makes the Chute Boxe Joao Emilio representative such an interesting addition to the featherweight ranks is that he's tall and long for the division, standing at five-foot-ten and sporting a 71-inch reach. He's shown a sharp understanding of how to utilize both already, and should only continue to develop those skills further as he works in with top-end competition going forward. Being a part of an ascending team doesn't hurt either, as Costa need look no further than his teammate and fellow emerging featherweight Joanderson Brito to see what kind of success he's capable of achieving inside the Octagon.

Like Costa, Garcia has spent time up at lightweight, as well, but similarly sees greater benefits to being the taller, rangier fighter at featherweight. After dropping his first appearance of 2022, the Albuquerque native rebounded with a resounding effort against Chase Hooper to close out the year, and then orchestrated one of the gutsiest scome-from-behind wins of the year in April, rallying from getting rocked early in his fight with Shayilan Nuerdanbieke to finish the Chinese veteran early in the second.

This is a quality measuring stick opportunity for Costa — a date with someone that has slightly more experience at this level and the size to theoretically neutralize his long-range weapons, so it will be interesting to see how he adjusts on Saturday. If he can close out his rookie campaign with a second straight quality effort, big things could be in store in 2024 and beyond.