Fighter with vitiligo reportedly set for promotional debut at UFC 283

Thiago Moises was set to face Guram Kutateladze at UFC 283 before the 'Georgian Viking' was forced to pull out of their scheduled bout due to a nasty staph infection. However, Moises did not have to wait long for a replacement opponent.

The fighter who stepped in on short notice is Melquizael 'Melk' Costa, who will also be making his promotional debut after two back-to-back finishes. Costa holds a record of 19-5 and this 26-year-old Brazilian is one of the very few fighters in the promotion who suffer from vitiligo.

Vitiligo is a skin condition in which portions of the skin lose their pigmentation, resulting in abnormal patterns and Costa suffered severe discrimination while growing up due to people being ill-informed about the skin condition.

Interestingly, he decided to pursue the sport full-time after being inspired by former UFC bantamweight Scott Jorgensen, who also suffers from vitiligo. He told MMA Junkie that he stumbled across Jorgensen while playing a video game.

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Thiago Moises last fought against Christos Giagos at UFC Vegas 57 last year and emerged victorious after a dominant first-round submission. However, he faces a tough test in 'Melk.' The 26-year-old has won seven of his past eight fights since 2019, five of which by stoppage.

The two Brazilian fighters will face each other at Rio de Janeiro’s Jeunesse Arena and air live on pay-per-view on January 21.

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Guram Kutateladze posts video of infection that forced him out of UFC 283

Guram Kutateladze will no longer face Thiago Moises at UFC 283 on January 21 after contracting a nasty staph infection. The Georgian fighter has been forced to pull out of his scheduled bout and will be replaced by Melquizael Costa.

A staph infection is a bacterial infection caused by staphylococcus bacteria and becomes a life-threatening condition when the bacteria invade deeper into your body, entering your bloodstream, joints, bones, lungs or heart.

Kutateladze recently posted a video on Instagram showing how the infection affected his body over several weeks. Showcasing his swollen elbow, he wrote a heartfelt caption detailing his disappointment over having to pull out of the fight.

"Very unfortunate, I have a bad news, due to an injury (staph infection and inflammation in my elbow) I’m forced to cancel the fight once again. It’s an injury that happened in Dubai, during the training camp. I’m still nowadays taking strong medicine... With only few weeks left to the fight I will not be healed properly."

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