Matt Schnell Reframes 2024 Retirement Before Alessandro Costa Bout
Matt Schnell said his 2024 retirement gesture was an emotional reaction, not a final decision, as he prepares to face alessandro costa on short notice at UFC Vegas 118 on June 6, 2026. The flyweight bout headlines the prelims at the Meta Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada, with Schnell trying to reset after a stretch that has left pressure on his place in the division.
Matt Schnell and Cody Durden
Schnell said the moment came after his loss to Cody Durden, when he took off his gloves and left them in the middle of the cage after a second-round ninja choke submission defeat two years before the Costa fight. He did not get a post-fight interview and did not speak to the media after that bout.
During UFC Vegas 118 media day, Schnell said, “I was very disappointed. Disappointed in myself and just frustrated.” He added, “I think I just pitched a fit there in that moment, and I also thought the UFC was going to cut me.”
Hunter Campbell and Mick Maynard
Schnell said Hunter Campbell met him in the back and that he has “a great relationship with Mick Maynard,” but he did not want to use that relationship to influence his position. He said, “I thought it might be my last one, so I figured get ahead of it a little bit and just retire. I could say, I didn’t get cut — I retired.”
Seven months later, the UFC booked him against Jimmy Flick, and Schnell won to end a three-fight losing streak. He is now 36 years old and enters the Costa bout 2-4 in his last six fights, with all four losses ending by finish.
UFC Vegas 118 at Meta Apex
Schnell said the retirement gesture was something he would reverse if he could. “Not my best moment, if I’m being honest — an emotional moment, one where, if I could take it back, I would have,” he said. He also added, “But now we’re back,” as he heads into a short-notice matchup that gives him another chance to show the UFC he can still hold his place after years of uneven results.
That history leaves the Costa fight with a simple edge for Schnell: he needs a clean performance in Las Vegas after a public lapse that came during a loss he thought might end his run.
