Ali Akbar Rosady
Las Vegas, NV – May 13, 2026 – Melquizael Costa, a rising featherweight in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), is preparing for his first career main event on May 16, a night that will see an unprecedented clash of mixed martial arts events. Costa’s headlining bout against Arnold Allen at UFC Vegas 117, broadcast live from the UFC APEX on Paramount+, is set to run concurrently with MVP MMA’s highly anticipated debut show on Netflix, headlined by the returning legends Ronda Rousey and Gina Carano. Despite the significant competition for viewership, Costa has expressed unwavering confidence in his ability to "steal the show."
The scheduling conflict marks a unique moment in the sport’s landscape. While the UFC has historically contended with rival promotions such as PFL and Bellator, the entry of MVP MMA onto the global streaming platform Netflix, featuring a card stacked with household names, presents a challenge of a different magnitude. The MVP MMA event boasts a lineup that includes Nate Diaz, Mike Perry, and Francis Ngannou, alongside the marquee women’s bantamweight clash between Rousey and Carano, two pioneers whose careers significantly elevated women’s MMA.
UFC Vegas 117, meanwhile, will feature the 27-year-old Brazilian, Melquizael Costa (21-6 MMA, 3-1 UFC), in his most prominent role to date against the No. 6-ranked featherweight, Arnold Allen (19-3 MMA, 10-2 UFC). The co-main event will see Doo Ho Choi face Daniel Santos. Notably, the only ranked fighters on the UFC card, Ketlen Vieira and Jacqueline Cavalcanti, are scheduled to compete in the preliminary bouts, underscoring the contrast in established star power between the two concurrent events.
Addressing the challenge, Costa remained resolute about his main event status. "It’s going to be at the APEX, but it’ll still be the main event," Costa told MMA Fighting. His focus on the details of his experience was evident as he added, "There won’t be ads during my walkout music. I was pissed off about that last time [laughs]. The show will be ready for me."
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Costa acknowledged the formidable competition from the Netflix event but dismissed concerns regarding the stature of his opponents. "The only thing is I’ll be competing with the people over at Netflix. If it was the Ronda from years ago, okay. But it’s today’s Ronda, so I’m good with it. I trust my skills [laughs]," he stated, referencing Rousey’s long absence from active competition. Rousey, 37, last competed in the UFC in December 2016, while Carano, 42, has been out of MMA since August 2009. Their return, while generating significant media buzz, comes after extended periods away from the sport.
Costa expressed an expectation that fans would prioritize his fight, available on Paramount+, before the Netflix headliners. He suggested that his aggressive fighting style would be more compelling than potentially "boring" bouts on the rival card. "If you asked me whether I’d rather open [the UFC 328] main card or headline this event, I’d still choose to headline this one because it’s my first time on a poster," Costa affirmed, emphasizing the personal significance of this milestone. He further downplayed external distractions, stating, "I don’t care if Canelo Alvarez is fighting the same night, I’m not even paying attention to that. Doesn’t matter, man. I’m still going to steal the show. I trust the way I fight, people are going to enjoy it. And besides, there’ll probably be a lot of boring fights on Netflix. People will say, ‘Melk is fighting, leave it on this instead.’"
Costa’s professional trajectory has been characterized by overcoming obstacles, a theme he readily embraces. "Have you ever seen anything come easy for me, brother? It always comes with some kind of challenge," he reflected. "Like, ‘You’re going to headline the card but you’ll have to compete with Ronda.’ Alright then, deal. She fights for attention over there, I fight for attention over here [laughs]."
The "challenge" of facing Arnold Allen is substantial. Allen, a product of England’s burgeoning MMA scene, has built a reputation as a highly technical striker with impressive durability. His professional record includes significant victories over Calvin Kattar, Dan Hooker, and Sodiq Yusuff. While he recently suffered decision losses to former champions Max Holloway and Charles Oliveira, Allen remains a formidable presence in the featherweight division, known for his composed striking and strong defensive grappling. Costa, a dynamic striker with a high finishing rate (14 KOs, 3 submissions), will be looking to leverage his aggressive style against Allen’s precision. Costa’s recent UFC victories include a TKO over Shayilan Nuerdanbieke and decision wins over Natan Levy and Steven Nguyen, showcasing his evolving skill set.
Looking beyond May 16, Costa harbors ambitious predictions for his future in the UFC. In February, he confidently projected fighting three times in 2026, culminating in a title shot. He maintains that conviction, believing a victory over Allen could catapult him directly into contention for the featherweight championship. Costa anticipates that current UFC featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski will "run through" Movsar Evloev in a potential matchup and subsequently retire, thereby vacating the belt and creating an open path to the title.
Costa meticulously analyzed the featherweight landscape, asserting that Movsar Evloev (18-0 MMA, 8-0 UFC) is the rightful next contender. "The UFC is fair, too," Costa said, explaining his reasoning. "It’s not enough to just keep barking, you know? If Jean [Silva] had knocked out Evloev then okay, there’d be a storyline and all that. But he’s coming off one win. And his last loss was to a guy who lost twice to Volkanovski. It’s Evloev’s turn now." Jean Silva (10-2 MMA, 1-0 UFC) recently secured a submission victory, but Evloev’s undefeated record and consistent high-level performances position him strongly.
Costa envisions himself among the top contenders. "I’m putting it in my head that after this fight, my next one will be straight for the belt," he declared. He considered other contenders, noting, "It could even be against Jean. Yair Rodriguez is hiding somewhere nobody knows about [laughs]. Aljamain Sterling won his last fight, but it wasn’t that kind of performance. There’s [Lerone] Murphy, who lost, Diego Lopes… If Diego Lopes loses [to Steve Garcia], then the division gets messy again. But even if he wins, he’s probably not getting the title shot either, so that leaves the guys who are rising up the rankings." This assessment highlights the competitive and somewhat fluid nature of the featherweight division, with former champions like Yair Rodriguez (16-4, 1 NC MMA, 10-3, 1 NC UFC) and recent bantamweight title challenger Aljamain Sterling (24-4 MMA, 16-4 UFC) navigating their own paths, alongside rising talents like Lerone Murphy (13-1-1 MMA, 5-1-1 UFC) and Diego Lopes (23-6 MMA, 3-1 UFC).
The upcoming bout holds personal significance for Costa beyond his career aspirations. His wife and son will be in Las Vegas for the first time, having recently secured visas to enter the United States. This personal milestone further fuels Costa’s determination. He anticipates that a dominant performance against Allen will lead the UFC to "fast-track me" in 2026.
Regarding the matchup with Allen, Costa painted a clear picture of his strategy and expected outcome. "It’s a perfect match-up," Costa stated. "Arnold Allen is a striker, but after he eats a couple of my kicks he’s going to want to take me down. Everybody does [laughs]. But I don’t see this fight going to the distance. I believe I’m going to knock Allen out. I’m going to be the first guy to knock out Arnold. He’ll be the third straight opponent I beat who had never been knocked out before." This prediction would be a significant achievement, as Allen has never been finished in his 22 professional fights.
Costa thrives under the pressure of being the underdog, a position he has embraced throughout his career. "People ask me what I picture after this fight," he continued. "I don’t picture anything. I picture myself beating the hell out of Arnold Allen and everybody’s going to be scared of me. Everybody’s going to be scared. And honestly, I’m already used to it. I love it when people say, ‘Ah, this time he’s not gonna do it.’ I’ve heard that my whole life, so it actually makes me happy when people say it. I’d rather be the underdog than the favorite. So against Arnold Allen, a lot of people think if I win it’ll be by decision and all that, but man… I’m ready for a decision too. But there’s no mystery. I’m going in there and smashing him with kicks. He knows it, I know it, everybody knows it. He just doesn’t know when it’s coming."
As May 16 approaches, Melquizael Costa stands at a pivotal juncture in his career. His inaugural main event, set against the backdrop of a historic clash of MMA productions, offers him a unique platform to prove his worth. His confidence, rooted in his fighting style and a history of overcoming challenges, suggests he is ready to seize the moment and, as he boldly claims, "steal the show."
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