TLDR
- Arnold Allen defeated Melquizael Costa by unanimous decision with scores of 50-45, 50-45, and 49-46
- Allen out-struck Costa 156 to 118 and went a perfect seven for seven on takedown attempts
- The win snapped Costa’s six-fight winning streak and kept Allen in the top seven at featherweight
- Allen accumulated over nine minutes of cage control time during the 25-minute fight
- Dooho Choi stopped Daniel Santos in the co-main event to extend his unbeaten streak to four fights
Sources: CBS Sports | Sportsnet | Sherdog
Arnold Allen returned to the win column with a dominant five-round unanimous decision over Melquizael Costa in the UFC Fight Night main event Saturday at the Meta Apex in Las Vegas. Two judges scored the fight 50-45 for Allen, while one judge gave Costa a single round with a 49-46 scorecard.
The 32-year-old from Ipswich, England entered the fight having lost three of his previous four bouts by decision. Costa came in riding a six-fight winning streak and had stopped his last two opponents in the first round.
Allen controlled the fight from the opening bell with a disciplined approach that stripped Costa of his most dangerous weapons. He pressured the Brazilian throughout the contest and never allowed him to establish any sustained offense.
Keeping his spot 😤@ArnoldBFA earns the hard-fought UD victory to walk out of #UFCVegas117 victorious!
[ @ParamountPlus ] pic.twitter.com/jYvd4HJcQ9
— UFC (@ufc) May 17, 2026
Allen’s Complete Performance
Allen out-landed Costa 156 to 118 in total strikes across the 25-minute fight. He mixed his striking attack with effective wrestling, going a perfect seven for seven on takedown attempts.
The English fighter accumulated 9:28 of cage control time during the bout. His tactical choice to counter Costa’s leg kicks with punches proved effective, especially in the third round when he hurt the Brazilian and controlled him on the ground.
Allen prepared for this fight at home in England rather than his usual training camps at Montreal’s Tristar Gym. The change in preparation paid off as he delivered one of his most complete performances.
Costa never stopped trying and continued attacking Allen’s lead leg throughout the fight. However, Allen’s superior awareness and control of the distance made it difficult for Costa to mount any serious comeback attempts.
What’s Next for Allen
Allen entered the weekend ranked number seven in the featherweight division. The win keeps him in position among the top contenders at 145 pounds.
Allen told reporters earlier in the week that he plans to stay busy in 2026. “That’s the plan,” he said. “Busy busy. Get back in that title contention, take some people out. Take names, call for titles. That’s the plan.”
Allen’s professional record now stands at 21-4 overall and 12-3 in the UFC. Costa falls to 26-8 overall and 7-3 in the UFC in his first five-round assignment with the promotion.
In the co-main event, Dooho Choi stopped Daniel Santos with body shots in the second round. Choi is now unbeaten in his past four fights and improved his record to 17-4-1 overall.
Juan Diaz made a successful UFC debut by submitting Malcolm Wellmaker with a second-round rear-naked choke. The Peruvian fighter improved to 16-1-1 and was coming off a spinning elbow knockout on Dana White’s Contender Series in October.
Khaos Williams earned a first-round technical knockout win over Nikolay Veretennikov in welterweight action. Croatia’s Ivan Erslan picked up his first UFC win after starting 0-3 in the organization with a unanimous decision over Tuco Tokkos.
Alice Ardelean made UFC history by becoming the first fighter to win with a “capsule lock” submission in the second round of her strawweight bout against Polyana Viana. The Romanian fighter used leverage to secure the unique submission.
Brazil’s Nicolle Caliari earned her first UFC win by submitting Shauna Bannon in the third round after dropping down to the strawweight division following an 0-2 start at flyweight.
