Melquizael Costa will headline his first UFC occasion on Might sixteenth, a busy evening for the game. Whereas the UFC has gone head-to-head with promotions like PFL and Bellator lately, MVP’s first MMA present on Netflix will present a novel competitors for Costa and opponent Arnold Allen.
MVP MMA is headlined by Ronda Rousey vs. Gina Carano, and the primary card additionally consists of stars like Nate Diaz, Mike Perry, and Francis Ngannou. The lineup for UFC Vegas 117 is topped by Allen vs. Costa, adopted by Doo Ho Choi vs. Daniel Santos within the co-main occasion slot. The one fighters ranked on the UFC card are Ketlen Vieira and Jacqueline Cavalcanti, who will meet within the prelims.
“Regardless that it will likely be held at APEX, it can nonetheless be the primary occasion,” Costa instructed MMA Preventing. “No advertisements in the course of the walk-out music. I bought mad about that final time (lol). The present is prepared for me. The one factor is I am competing with the Netflix individuals. If that was the Rhonda of years in the past, I would be wonderful. However it’s the Rhonda of at present, so I am wonderful. I consider in my expertise (lol).”
Costa expects there will probably be “loads of time” for followers to observe his bout on Paramount+ earlier than MVP MMA’s high star heads to the Hexagon. Nevertheless, if his match coincides with one among them, Costa believes his model will probably be extra thrilling than the “boring” matches that is likely to be seen on Netflix.
“In case you had to decide on between the primary card opener (of UFC 328) and the headliner of this occasion, I’d nonetheless select the headliner of this card as a result of it is the primary time I have been on the poster,” Costa stated. “I do not care if Canelo Alvarez is combating on the identical evening. I do not even take note of that. It would not matter, dude. I am nonetheless going to steal the present. I consider in the best way I combat, and individuals are going to get pleasure from it. And there is in all probability going to be a number of boring fights on Netflix. Persons are going to say, ‘Merck is combating, let’s do that as a substitute.’
“Brother, have you ever ever seen something come straightforward for me? It all the time comes with some kind of problem,” he continued. “Like, ‘You are going to headline this card, however you need to compete with Ronda.'” Okay, let’s make a deal. She’s combating for consideration over there, and I am combating for consideration right here too (laughs). ”
Costa predicted in February that he would combat thrice in 2026, “and the final combat will already be for the belt.” He claims so, and is assured that if he defeats Allen, he’ll be capable of compete squarely within the title combat subsequent. Costa expects UFC featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski to “run by way of” Movsar Evloev and retire quickly, paving the best way for the vacant belt.
“It is truthful to the UFC,” Costa stated of why he thinks Evloev is subsequent. “It isn’t sufficient to simply preserve barking, proper? If Jean (Silva) had knocked Evloev out, there would have been a storyline and all that. However he is one win away. And his final loss was to Volkanovski, who he misplaced to twice. Now it is Evloev’s flip.”
“I’ve it in my head that when this combat is over, the following combat is straight for the belt,” he continued. “It might be towards Jean. Yair Rodriguez is hiding someplace that nobody is aware of about (lol). Aljamain Sterling gained his final combat, but it surely wasn’t a efficiency like that. We even have (Lerone) Murphy who misplaced, and Diego Lo There’s additionally Pes… If Diego Lopez loses (to Steve Garcia), the division will probably be in turmoil once more. However even when he wins, he in all probability will not get an opportunity on the title both. So the blokes who’re attempting to maneuver up the rankings will stay. ”
Costa will probably be in Las Vegas for the primary time on Saturday as his spouse and son acquired visas to enter america, and he hopes the UFC will “rush me” after he turns into the primary man to cease Allen in 2026.
“It is an ideal matchup,” Costa stated. “Arnold Allen is a striker, however as soon as he takes a number of kicks from me, he’ll wish to knock me down. I believe everybody does (laughs). However I do not suppose this combat will final very lengthy. I consider I’ll knock Allen out. I’ll be the primary man to knock out Arnold. He’ll be the man I’ve crushed three years in a row who’s by no means been knocked out earlier than.”
“Individuals ask me what I envision after this combat,” he continued. “I am not imagining something. If I think about myself beating Arnold Allen to dying, everybody could be afraid of me. Everybody could be scared. And to be sincere, I am used to it already. I like it when individuals say, ‘Oh, he isn’t going to do it this time.'” It is very nice to listen to that as a result of I have been instructed that my complete life. I would reasonably be the underdog than the favourite. So for the Arnold Allen combat, lots of people suppose if I win it may be a choice or one thing, however effectively…I am prepared for a choice as effectively. However there isn’t any thriller. I am going in there and crush him with kicks. He is aware of it, I do know it, and everybody is aware of it. However he would not know when it can come. ”
