Jean Silva confronts Melquizael Costa backstage at LFA 234 in São Paulo

Jean Silva confronted Melquizael Costa backstage at LFA 234 at Ginásio do Polvilho in Cajamar, São Paulo, Brazil on May 30, with video footage showing an animated Silva pointing his finger at Costa, who remained visibly relaxed throughout the exchange.

The tension between the two Brazilian featherweights dates back to September, when Costa called out Silva following a highlight-reel spinning-back-kick knockout of Dan Ige. At the time, Costa was riding an impressive six-fight winning streak and appeared to be positioning himself for a marquee UFC booking.

However, Costa’s momentum stalled earlier this month when he suffered a hard-fought unanimous decision loss to Arnold Allen, ending that streak and significantly weakening his case for an immediate fight with Silva. The defeat marked a significant setback for “The Dalmatian,” whose record now stands at 26-8.

Silva, meanwhile, has been moving in the opposite direction. The 17-3 contender defeated Allen by decision in his most recent outing — a result that served as a rebound from his only UFC loss, a defeat to Diego Lopes. That win over Allen, the same man who just beat Costa, further illustrates the gap in momentum between the two fighters.

Given Costa’s recent loss, a matchup between the two is considered unlikely in the near term. Still, the public confrontation at LFA 234 suggests the personal edge between them remains sharp, and the rivalry could resurface should Costa string together another winning run inside the UFC’s featherweight division.