Costa Vows to Stop Allen in UFC Vegas 117 as Netflix Rival Card Looms on May 16

11 articles · Updated · Yahoo Sports · May 15

Melquizael Costa said he expects to knock out Arnold Allen in Saturday’s UFC Vegas 117 main event, predicting he will become the first fighter to stop the former top-10 featherweight.
The 26-7 Brazilian framed the bout as both a breakthrough and a showcase, saying his first UFC headliner can still “steal the show” despite competing with MVP’s Netflix card topped by Ronda Rousey vs. Gina Carano.
Costa argued a win over Allen could send him straight into a title fight, especially if Alexander Volkanovski beats Movsar Evloev and retires, potentially leaving the featherweight belt vacant.
Allen enters as the more established name at 20-4 and was a slight betting favorite earlier Friday, while Costa is coming off a stoppage of Dan Ige and seeking a third straight win over opponents never previously knocked out.
The Las Vegas card is relatively thin on ranked names outside prelim fighters Ketlen Vieira and Jacqueline Cavalcanti, leaving Allen-Costa as the clear focal point on a crowded May 16 MMA schedule.

After three losses in his last four fights, can Arnold Allen defend his ranking against the surging Melquizael Costa?

Will Melquizael Costa's knockout power be the first to break Arnold Allen's legendary durability?