When UFC fighter Melquizael Costa got honest about growing up with vitiligo: "I didn't want people to see me" 

Melquizael Costa grew up in Brazil with a condition most people didn’t understand and very few accepted. Vitiligo began showing on his skin around the age of four.

It was harmless, but to many, it looked like something to fear. He was treated like an outcast, and while other kids were curious, the adults kept their children away. He felt rejected before he even knew why. Moreover, the stares and the assumptions chipped away at him daily.

Costa left for the countryside, choosing the isolation of farm work over the judgment of city life. He avoided public places and sank into depression. At his lowest, he genuinely believed he had no future. Even his parents didn’t think someone with his skin could get a job.

Speaking about his struggles growing up in a past interview with MMA Junkie, Costa said:

"I went to the countryside and started working on a farm. I didn't want to go to the city. I didn't want people to see me. Depression started to take roots in myself, as well. I started feeling for myself, what they were feeling, disgust. Martial arts was actually what saved me from this." [H/t: MMA Junkie]

However, things changed while flipping through fighters in a UFC video game. Costa saw Scott Jorgensen, a fighter with vitiligo and someone who looked like him. He added:

"I was playing it, and then I saw this gu,y and he looked exactly like me. I was like, 'Is this for real? Is this made up? Who is this?' I Googled him and I saw he was a UFC fighter. I was like, 'Damn, this guy is just like me, so I can be a real UFC fighter. I finally found something I can be in my life.' So, Scott Jorgensen, I tell everyone he was the one who pretty much opened this idea in my mind, who showed me it would be possible to get there someday."

Costa began training hard and initially avoided pictures, hated taking his shirt off, and dreaded showing his skin. Slowly and gradually, he gained strength, discipline, and self-worth.

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Melquizael Costa picks up solid win at UFC Vegas 106

In his recent octagon outing, Melquizael Costa edged out Julian Erosa by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28) in a high-paced featherweight clash that kicked off the UFC Vegas 106 main card. Costa came out blazing, staggering Erosa early with sharp combinations.

Erosa rallied in rounds two and three, pushing the pace and making it a tight, thrilling contest. In the end, Costa’s early damage sealed the deal. With seven months still left this year, Costa already has three wins in 2025 and has the opportunity to perhaps equal Roger Huerta's record of five wins in 2007.