An intriguing encounter awaits at the Meta APEX this weekend as ‘Almighty’ Arnold Allen faces off against ‘The Dalmatian’ Melquizael Costa in the featherweight division.
BACKGROUND
After over a year out of the octagon, Arnold Allen returned in January on UFC 324, suffering a close decision loss at the hands of top contender Jean Silva.
He now makes a quick return at the Meta APEX, against the dangerous Melquizael Costa, who has won his last six fights.
Allen has been on the UFC roster since 2015, registering wins against Dan Hooker and Giga Chikadze along the way, making him a danger to anyone in the featherweight division.
A fight against Max Holloway and a close decision loss to Movsar Evloev gave Allen valuable experience that he hoped could take him to the next level.
As for Costa, the Brazilian has caught the attention of UFC fans with his high-pressure, high-volume style, which has led to him knocking out Morgan Charriere and submitting Andre Fili.
The Dalmatian’s most impressive victory came in February, though, as he finished Dan Ige with an eye-catching spinning back kick followed by some ground and pound.
With Allen looking to reignite his status as a featherweight contender, and Costa aiming to increase his winning streak, a great fight awaits.
But only one man can come out on top…
FIGHTING STYLES
The fight isn’t just interesting due to background but also stylistically, with both men operating in similar fashions when they step inside the octagon.
Allen enjoys fighting from a defensive standpoint, throwing out counter-strikes at any given opportunity, with his footwork allowing him to land jabs and kicks when his opponent attempts to push him back.
Despite being a defensively minded striker, Allen can also be relentless when he senses the opportunity, as shown in his win over Dan Hooker, where he pummeled the Australian with countless strikes.
Similarly, Costa is also a relentless fighter and doesn’t give his opponents any chance to recover when he can see they are hurt.
The Brazilian’s experience in taekwondo gives him great kicking ability, something that he will be looking to utilize to keep pushing Allen back.
Aside from his striking, Costa is a highly skilled submission artist and is a threat whenever the fight goes to the mat. It will be tough for him to get Allen down due to his strong defensive grappling, but if he does, he will be looking for a submission at any given point.
I can see the fight remaining on the feet, though, with both men trading heavy shots.
FUTURE
Allen is currently ranked number seven in the featherweight rankings, whereas Costa is ranked number 12, showing the depth of the division.
The title is currently held by Alexander Volkanovski after he defeated Diego Lopes for the vacant belt before defeating him again in January.
There is a host of names vying for a shot at gold, however, most notably Movsar Evloev, who defeated Lerone Murphy to possibly make him the number one contender, and Aljamain Sterling, who recently beat Youssef Zalal impressively.
So, once you throw Jean Silva into the mix, you have a highly competitive race to secure a title shot, and one that both Allen and Costa will be wanting to put their name down for in the not-so-distant future.
PREDICTION
This fight looks extremely tough to call on paper, with both men holding skills that could grant them the key to victory.
However, I am going to edge towards Allen to secure the victory via a decision.
I believe Allen has the cardio and fight intelligence to outlast Costa over five rounds, securing points from the judges with a high volume of strikes from defensive positions.
Costa does have the threat of his great kicking ability, but I think the fact that both men are southpaws may neutralise this alongside Allen’s ability to take a lot of strikes.
Allen will try and keep the fight standing up and avoid any unnecessary submission attempts by Costa, and I think he will be successful in this, giving him a clear path to victory.
Arnold Allen will take on Melquizael Costa on Sunday, 17 May, at the Meta APEX Arena in Las Vegas.
My name is Jack Latham.
I am 20 years old and am currently studying Sports Journalism at the University of Chester.
I became interested in combat sports, particularly MMA, in the lockdown period and have followed it closely ever since.
I have previously created my own website titled ‘Combat Corner,’ where I produce MMA content.