The Meta APEX was back to host another UFC fight night, and while the fight card had to compete with Netflix’s first MMA event on the same night, plenty of entertainment was produced in the Octagon.
Eight finishes were showcased in Las Vegas, as there were a lot of impressive performances to admire.
One particular bout received a Fight of the Night (FOTN) bonus, which was a joy to watch for spectators.
Here is everything that happened at UFC Vegas 117 with details behind the five-round headliner.
Triple A is back to winning ways
An intriguing featherweight contender matchup had a lot riding on it between an experienced veteran and a surging prospect.
Arnold Allen eyed redemption after losing his last fight by unanimous decision against Jean Silva at UFC 324.
Melquizael Costa was on a six-fight win streak after displaying a spectacular first-round knockout over Dan Ige at UFC Houston.
The 145-pound rankings were prepared for a big shake-up depending on the winner, as a victory was hugely beneficial for either man.
The first round nearly ended with a finish when ‘Almighty’ knocked down Costa before landing two takedowns to produce a good start.
Rounds two and three saw the Brazilian throw more, but Allen was the more accurate striker and dealt more damage to ‘The Dalmatian’.
The Englishman did enough to win round four before a slight scare in round five meant the #7 contender had to wrestle to pave his way to victory by a comfortable unanimous decision.
The Ipswich-born fighter keeps his position in the featherweight rankings and hopes to face a higher-ranked opponent next, all while hoping to be more active.
Other highlights from UFC Vegas 117
Choi Doo-ho returned from his long layoff, defeating Daniel Santos by second-round TKO to increase his triumphant run to three.
Both men were awarded a FOTN bonus after a crazy two-round brawl, which certainly brought a reaction from spectators.
Juan Diaz could not have had a better debut as he submitted Malcolm Wellmaker with a second-round Rear-Naked Choke, putting the bantamweight division on notice.
Modestas Bukauskas did just enough to claim redemption as he defeated short-notice opponent Christian Edwards by split decision.
Bernardo Sopaj returned to the Octagon for the first time since January 2025 to submit Timothy Cuamba with a Rear-Naked Choke in round three.
Khaos Williams returned to the win column with a first-round TKO victory over Nikolay Veretennikov, his first victory since February 2025.
Ivan Erslan broke his three-fight losing streak and picked up his first UFC win after defeating Tuco Tokkos by unanimous decision.
Tommy Gantt remained undefeated in his UFC debut as he stopped Artur Minev by second-round TKO to become the next promising lightweight prospect.
Ketlen Vieira kept her spot in the women’s bantamweight rankings after going the distance to beat Jacqueline Cavalcanti by unanimous decision.
Cody Brundage earned redemption in his third UFC fight of 2026 with a second-round TKO win against Andre Petroski.
Alice Ardelean increased her winning streak to three after submitting Polyana Viana with a Capsule Lock in the second round, the first in UFC history.
Luis Gurule put his losing streak to an end and earned his first win in the organisation after beating Daniel Barez by unanimous decision.
Nicolle Caliari picked up her first UFC win and maintained her 100% finish rate after submitting Shauna Bannon with a third-round Rear-Naked Choke.
