ROLE MODEL COSTA PROVES TOP DOG

MMA has its fair share of 'Big Dogs', 'Pitbulls' and even a 'Raw Dawg' - but Melquizael Costa is using his inner dalmatian to encourage kids who also have vitiligo to embrace it.

- GARY HITCHCOCK

The Brazilian (inset) has had the skin condition, which leads to white patches on the sufferer's body due to a lack of the pigment melanin, since he was four.

He was shunned by many growing up who confused the condition with leprosy.

Tackling the issue head-on, Costa weighed in for his featherweight bout against Andre Fili at UFC Seattle in full dalmatian face paint as a way to show it shouldn't stop anyone chasing their dream.