UFC 334 Bout Order Draws Fan Backlash as Melquizael Costa Lands on Early Prelims

UFC 334’s lineup has created a visibility question before the Madison Square Garden event: why is Melquizael Costa, six months removed from a UFC Fight Night main event, set to close the early prelims? Fans have challenged that placement, and the bout order has also put a spotlight on where Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson’s retirement fight sits.

The card follows a second consecutive UFC event at the Meta Apex this Saturday, with the Octagon then heading to New York for November’s numbered show. UFC 334 is led by two title fights: heavyweight champion Ciryl Gane defending his belt against Josh Hokit, and Amanda Nunes returning from retirement to challenge women’s bantamweight champion Kayla Harrison.

Those headliners anchor the event, but the placement of the remaining bouts is the point of contention. Reporter Marcel Dorff shared an updated order on X. Beneath the title fights, the three other main-card matchups are Caio Borralho against Yousri Belgaroui, Uros Medic against Kevin Holland, and Bilal Hasan against Luis Gurule. Costa’s fight with Jared “Flash” Gordon is currently scheduled to close the early prelims.

Costa’s recent run makes the placement stand out

Costa is coming off a notable stretch at featherweight. He went 6-1 at 145 pounds, including a win in which he became the first fighter to knock out Dan Ige. That performance earned the Brazilian his first UFC main event, against longtime contender Arnold Allen in May. Costa lost by unanimous decision, but the bout gave him a headlining slot only six months before his scheduled return at UFC 334.

His next appearance also comes with a division change: Costa is moving up to lightweight to face Gordon. The change gives the fight a fresh sporting angle, though the bout’s place on the running order has become the bigger talking point among fans. A main event is a major step in a fighter’s profile; an early-prelim slot can make a later fight on the same card feel like a sharp drop in visibility, even when the contest itself remains an important test.

That contrast is driving the criticism. Fans questioned why Costa was placed so early after headlining against Allen, with one noting that he had just fought a main event and asking why his return sits below the main-card opener. Others called the placement “wild” and argued that the order should be changed. The reaction centers on the sequence of Costa’s recent bookings and his spot on this particular card; the source gives no reason from the UFC for the decision.

Thompson’s farewell is also outside the main card

Costa isn’t the only fighter whose placement has drawn attention. Thompson, a former welterweight title challenger, is scheduled to retire at UFC 334. He had asked for a farewell bout at Madison Square Garden, and the matchup with Charles Radtke gives him that setting. The fight is listed as the featured prelim, immediately before the main card rather than among its five bouts.

Some fans believe the occasion warrants a main-card place. One called for Thompson to open the televised main card, saying the veteran should be shown more respect. That view speaks to the role bout order plays in shaping a card’s presentation: placement signals which stories receive the most prominent stage, and a retirement appearance can carry significance beyond the matchup’s competitive stakes.

At the same time, Thompson’s featured-prelim position gives his fight a prominent place within the preliminary lineup. The published order includes several competing priorities: two championship bouts, three additional main-card matchups, a notable move to lightweight for Costa, and the farewell appearance Thompson sought in New York. Fans are weighing those stories differently, and their reactions show that card design is part of the event’s appeal before the first bout begins.

The order is the story for now

Dorff’s post prompted the online discussion, with fans focusing particularly on the distance between Costa’s May main event and his scheduled early-prelim return. The complaints don’t change the matchup itself, but they raise a clear question about how a fighter’s recent headlining role carries into the next booking. Costa’s record at featherweight and his move to lightweight provide sporting context; Allen’s unanimous-decision win is the immediate result he brings into the bout with Gordon.

For UFC 334, the card’s top end is already defined by Gane-Hokit and Harrison-Nunes. The debate is over the layers beneath those title fights: which bouts get the main-card platform, which stories lead the prelims, and whether the listed order reflects what fans most want to see. Until the schedule changes, Costa-Gordon closes the early prelims and Thompson-Radtke remains the featured prelim. Those placements will keep attention on the bout order as the event approaches.