Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is back home in Las Vegas, Nevada, gearing up to stage UFC Vegas 117 from inside Meta Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada. Headlining the Paramount+-streamed event will be a Featherweight fight between Arnold Allen and Melquizael Costa. In the co-main event, DooHo Choi will battle Daniel Santos in another 145-pound affair.
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – MAY 15: Arnold Allen poses on the scale during the official weigh-in for UFC Fight Night at Meta APEX on May 15, 2026 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Ed Mulholland/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)
UFC VEGAS 117 CHEAT SHEET
What UFC event is on tonight? UFC Vegas 117: “Costa vs. Allen”
Who is fighting tonight at UFC Vegas 117? Arnold Allen vs. Melquizael Costa Featherweight fight is the five-round main event.
What time does UFC Vegas 116 start? TONIGHT (Sat., May 16, 2026), beginning at 5 p.m. ET on Paramount+.
Where will UFC Vegas 117 take place? Meta Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada.
How can I watch UFC Vegas 117? Paramount+ “Prelims” undercard matches are scheduled to begin at 5 p.m. ET on Paramount+, followed by the remaining main card balance on Paramount+ at 8 p.m. ET.
How do I bet on UFC Vegas 117? Checkout the latest lines right here and bet at FanDuel Sportsbook.
Where can I get UFC Vegas 117 updates and results? Get full UFC Vegas 117 play-by-play updates and live coverage here!
From 2015 to 2022, Allen has one of the best runs of any UFC Featherweight by rattling off 10 straight wins. Despite that nice streak, he was never really considered for a title shot, and never really got close. A large part of it had to do with the fact that he only fought once a year from 2015 to 2018, twice in 2019, once in 2020 and 2021 and twice in 2022. When he got his big chance to make a case for a title shot, he was out-classed by Max Holloway, which was then followed by a loss to to Movsar Evloev. After bouncing back with a win over Giga Chikadze, he once again found himself in the losers column in his next outing after coming up short against Jean Silva, putting him at 1-3 in his last four fights. Now, he will attempt to rekindle that fire he had early on in his UFC career against a tough foe in Costa.
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – MAY 15: Melquizael Costa poses on the scale during the official weigh-in for UFC Fight Night at Meta APEX on May 15, 2026 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Ed Mulholland/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)
Speaking of which, “The Dalmatian” is currently on a hot streak inside the Octagon having won six straight fights spanning two years. Costa (No. 12) is hoping to crack the Top 10 with a win over Allen, who is currently occupying the No, 7 spot in the division. Costa has proven to be well-versed in all areas with two knockouts, two submissions and two decision wins during his current streak. A win over Allen would be the biggest of his career and the one that can get him over the hump. He has to be firing on all cylinders, however, because a desperate man like Allen is a dangerous one.
Original Card Vs. Actual Card/Injuries
DOHA, QATAR – NOVEMBER 22: Nicolas Dalby of Denmark prepares to face Saygid Izagakhmaev in a welterweight fight during the UFC Fight Night event at ABHA Arena on November 22, 2025 in Doha, Qatar. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC)
Nicolas Dalby and Jeremiah Wells were set to throw down in a Welterweight bout on the undercard before Dalby pulled out due to an undisclosed injury. There was no replacement found so the bout was canceled. Also, lightweight bout between Trey Ogden and Thomas Gantt was also scrapped after Ogden bowed out with an injury. He was replaced b UFC newcomer, Artur Minev.
Also, Rodolfo Bellato was expected to face Modestas Bukauskas in a light heavyweight bout before Bellato pulled out during fight week for undisclosed reasons. He was replaced by promotional newcomer Christian Edwards and the bout will now take place at a catchweight of 215 pounds.
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – MAY 15: Modestas Bukauskas and Christian Edwards face-off during the official weigh-in for UFC Fight Night at Meta APEX on May 15, 2026 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Ed Mulholland/Zuffa LLC)
Former Bellator MMA veteran, Christian Edwards, will be making his UFC debut opposite Modestas Bukauskas. Edwards ended his career with Bellator with three straight defeats, and after going 3-1 on the regional circuit now has the chance to shine in his UFC debut in a main card slot. As for Bukauskas, he is stinging after having his four-fight win streak snapped at the hands of Nikita Krylov in his most recent outing. Artur Minev and Thomas Gantt will be making their respective UFC debuts against one another. Minev is 7-0 with six stoppages to his name. As for Gantt, he is coming off a first-round submission win over Adam Livingston, improving his record to 11-0-1.
Juan Diaz is another UFC newcomer that is riding an eight-fight win streak. The Mexican-born fighter made a big enough splash on the Contender Series thanks to his first-round knockout win, and now he is looking to make the most of his UFC debut by further delaying Malcolm Wellmaker’s ascension. After earning back-to-back first-round knockout wins to start off his UFC career, Wellmaker looked like a legit contender in the making. Unfortunately his balloon was popped when he ran into Ethyn Ewing, who defeated him via unanimous decision last November, the first and only loss of his career. Now, “The Machine” is out to start a new win streak.
How The ‘Prelims’ Look:
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – MAY 15: Ketlen Vieira and Jacqueline Cavalcanti face-off during the official weigh-in for UFC Fight Night at Meta APEX on May 15, 2026 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Ed Mulholland/Zuffa LLC)
Ketlen Vieira is currently the No. 5 ranked fighter in the women’s Bantamweight division, despite the fact that she’s had a rough stretch as of late. Indeed, Vieira has alternated wins and losses since 2022, going 3-3 in the process. She is coming off a loss against Norma Dumont as she goes into battle against Jaqueline Cavalcanti, who is actually on quite a run herself by winning eight straight, including her first five inside the Octagon. A win here puts her in the Top 5.
There seems to be a theme on the undercard in that it features a lot of fighters on bad losing streaks, and Cody Brundage vs. Andre Petroski is no different. Brundage has lost three straight with his last win coming back in March 2025, while Petroski has no tasted victory since February of the years, losing back-to-back outings to Edmen Shahbazyan and Cameron Rowston.
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – MAY 15: Alice Ardelean and Polyana Viana face-off during the official weigh-in for UFC Fight Night at Meta APEX on May 15, 2026 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Ed Mulholland/Zuffa LLC)
Polyana Vianna has not won a fight in 3.5 years, losing three straight inside the Octagon, which also puts her in danger of getting cut with a fourth straight defeat. She will be going toe-to-toe against Alice Ardelean, who is trending upwards with two straight wins.
Kicking off the event will be a women’s Flyweight action will be Shauna Bannon and Nicolle Caliari. Bannon is coming off a submission loss to Sam Hughes, while Caliari has suffered two straight defeats, so both women are in need of a win.
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – MAY 15: Luis Gurule poses on the scale during the official weigh-in for UFC Fight Night at Meta APEX on May 15, 2026 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Ed Mulholland/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)
Luis Gurule has started off his UFC career with three straight wins, so he is in need of a big win against Daniel Barez — who was last seen losing to Andre Lima over a year ago — because it’s almost a certainty that he will get his walking papers should he lose his fourth straight inside the Octagon. He started off his career 10-0 on the regional circuit, so it seems the big leagues were just too much for him. On that note, we are breaking tradition and going with two people here because Ivan Erslan finds himself in the same position as Gurule, having lost his first three fights inside the Octagon. If he comes up short against George Tokkos, then he can kiss his spot on the bloated UFC roster goodbye.
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – MAY 15: Dooho Choi and Daniel Santos face-off during the official weigh-in for UFC Fight Night at Meta APEX on May 15, 2026 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Ed Mulholland/Zuffa LLC)
The co-main event of the evening will see Doo Ho Choi face off against Brazilian sensation, Daniel Santos in a thrilling 145-pound matchup. Choi has long been one of the most exciting fighters in the division, and he can elevate his stock a bit by securing his third straight win against Santos, who is currently enjoying a UFC career high four straight wins after stumbling out of the gates and losing his promotional debut against Joo Sang Yoo.
After starting off his UFC career with two straight defeats, Timothy Cuamba has now won two in a row and is eyeing his third straight win as he goes up against Bernardo Sopai, who is coming off a win over longtime UFC veteran, Ricky Turcios. The Bantamweight feels kind of stagnant at the moment with the title not being defended in five months. so now is the chance for Cuamba or Sopai to make an impression to make a move up the ladder and into the Top 15.
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – MAY 15: Nikolay Veretennikov and Khaos Williams face-off during the official weigh-in for UFC Fight Night at Meta APEX on May 15, 2026 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Ed Mulholland/Zuffa LLC)
Khaos Williams will attempt to snap his two-fight skid and earn his first win in two years when he faces off against Nikolay Veretennikov, who hasn’t been the most consistent during his short stint inside the Octagon. He is just 2-3 so far under the UFC banner, but he is coming off a TKO win over Niko Price, so he has confidence and momentum on his side.
Unfortunately for UFC, they will take an “L” this week in viewership as MVP MMA 1 featuring the returns of Ronda Rousey and Gina Carano will take place at the same time in Los Angeles, California, which will stream live on Netflix. It’s a pretty decent event featuring a lot of other well-known names such as Nate Diaz, Francis Ngannou, Junior dos Santos and Mike Perry, so it will obviously pull more viewers.
Full UFC Vegas 117 Fight Card: UFC Vegas 117 Main Event On Paramount+:
145 lbs.: Arnold Allen vs. Melquizael Costa
UFC Vegas 117 Main Card on Paramount+ (8 p.m. ET):
145 lbs.: DooHo Choi vs. Daniel Santos
135 lbs.: Malcolm Wellmaker vs. Juan Diaz
205 lbs.: Rodolfo Bellato vs. Modestas Bukauskas
135 lbs.: Timmy Cuamba vs. Bernardo Sopaj
UFC Vegas 117 Prelims Card on Paramount+ (5 p.m. ET):
170 lbs.: Nikolay Veretennikov vs. Khaos Williams
205 lbs.: Ivan Erslan vs. Tuco Tokkos
155 lbs.: Thomas Gantt vs. Trey Ogden
135 lbs.: Ketlen Vieira vs. Jacqueline Cavalcanti
185 lbs.: Cody Brundage vs. Andre Petroski
115 lbs.: Alice Ardelean vs. Polyana Viana
125 lbs.: Daniel Barez vs. Luis Gurule
115 lbs.: Shauna Bannon vs. Nicolle Caliari
*Fight card, bout order and amount of fights remain subject to change.*
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