UFC Vegas 117 live results, highlights and play-by-play
Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is live TONIGHT (Sat., May 16, 2026)with UFC Vegas 117, streaming live online via Paramount+. The event goes down in the META APEX in Las Vegas, Nevada. Tonight’s card, featuring Arnold Allen vs. Melquizael Costa in the main event, is being massively over-shadowed by Ronda Rousey vs. Gina Carano over on Netflix, but the show must go on.
UFC Vegas 117 Preview
UFC’s counter-programming for MVP MMA has the Featherweights in the spotlight with Arnold Allen looking to cling on to relevancy in the face of the streaking Melquizael Costa. Allen lost to Jean Silva last time out. That was a close decision (which could have gone his way), but no one remembers that. All we remember is that Silva used him as a surf board!
Costa stretched his win streak to eight fights last time out, by finishing Dan Ige with a spinning kick right to the chops. That win followed his victories over Morgan Charriere (also by head kick KO) and Christian Rodriguez.
The co-main is the Korean Superboy Doo Ho Choi taking on Daniel Santos, also at Featherweight. Choi will be looking to get revenge for country, since Santos’ last two wins have been over South Koreans.
The main card also has Malcolm Wellmaker vs. Juan Diaz, Timmy Cuamba vs. Bernardo Sopaj and Modestas Bukauskas vs. Christian Edwards.
The featured “Prelim” is Nikolay Veretennikov vs. Khaos Williams. One of the best fights on the card is hiding on the undercard. Jacqueline Cavalvanti could crack the top five at Women’s Bantamweight if she gets by Ketlen Vieira.
UFC Vegas 117 Start Date and Time
It’s the usual start times (more on that here) for UFC’s latest trip to “Sin City.” Checkout those below:
- UFC Vegas 117’s “Prelims” will begin at 5 p.m. ET.
- UFC Vegas 117’s main card is scheduled to start at 8 p.m. ET.
- All of UFC Vegas 117 airs on Paramount+, which you can stream here.
The live blog here starts rolling below at 5 p.m. ET. Come in and say hi!
UFC VEGAS 117 QUICK RESULTS
Main card
- 145 lbs.: Arnold Allen vs. Melquizael Costa
- 145 lbs.: Doo Ho Choi vs. Daniel Santos
- 135 lbs.: Malcolm Wellmaker vs. Juan Diaz
- 185 lbs.: Modestas Bukauskas def. Christian Edwards by split decision (29-28. 28-29, 29-28)
- 135 lbs.: Bernardo Sopaj def. Timmy Cuamba by submission (rear naked choke), round 2 (2:25)
- 170 lbs.: Khaos Williams def. Nikolay Veretennikov by TKO (punches), round 1 (3:31) — HIGHLIGHTS
Prelims
- 205 lbs.: Ivan Erslan def. Tuco Tokkos by unanimous decision (29,-28, 29-28, 29-28)
- 155 lbs.: Tommy Gantt def. Artur Minev by TKO (ground and pound), round 2 (2:51)
- 135 lbs.: Ketlen Vieira def. Jacqueline Cavalcanti by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
- 185 lbs.: Cody Brundage def. Andre Petroski by TKO (left hook and ground and pound), round 2 (0:44)
- 115 lbs.: Alice Ardelean def. Polyana Viana by verbal submission (capsule lock), round 2 (4:36) — HIGHLIGHTS
- 125 lbs.: Luis Gurule def. Daniel Barez by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
- 115 lbs.: Nicolle Caliari def. Shauna Bannon by submission (arm triangle), round 3 (3:08)
UFC VEGAS 117 PLAY-BY-PLAY UPDATES
Main card
Modestas Bukauskas vs. Christian Edwards: Edwards didn’t look totally out of his depth, despite being the short notice opponent debutante here. He fought Bukauskas to a close round in the first. In the second, though, Bukauskas found some space to land some big shots and had Edwards hurt. In the third Edwards managed to tie Bukauskas up and prevent himself taking any more power shots.
Official decision: Modestas Bukauskas def. Christian Edwards by split decision (29-28. 28-29, 29-28)
Timm Cuamba vs. Bernardo Sopaj: After a back and forth first round, Sopaj came close to finishing Cuamba with a neck crank. In the second round, Cuamba worked the body and legs, but Sopaj went upstairs and knocked him down with a huge punch. Sopaj then landed dozens of shots on the ground, but the referee wanted to let Cuamba suffer. Eventually Sopaj decided he needed a submission to finish this, so he took an easy opportunity for a choke to get the stunned Cuamba out of there.
Official decision: Bernardo Sopaj def. Timmy Cuamba by submission (rear naked choke), round 2 (2:25)
Nikolay Veretennikov vs. Khaos Williams: Williams threw everything with maximum power. It didn’t take long for all that power to start to affect Veretennikov. With around a minute left in the first, Veretennikov’s legs started to go. Williams smelled blood and he started drilling him with huge right hands. That sent Veretennikov down and the ref waved things off early (for good reason).
Official decision: Khaos Williams def. Nikolay Veretennikov by TKO (punches), round 1 (3:31)
Prelims
Tuco Tokkos vs. Ivan Erslan: Tokkos tried to impose his grappling advantage early, but then got sick of that and decided to brawl. And he came close to finishing Erslan when he did that, with them playing rock ‘em sock ‘em in the last ten seconds of the round. Tokkos was gassed after that and Erslan was able to jab him to death in the second and then sprawl and take top position for a longtime in the third.
Official decision: Ivan Erslan def. Tuco Tokkos by unanimous decision (29,-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Tommy Gantt vs. Artur Minev: Cormier’s house guest started slowly in this one, finding Minev harder to take down than he was expecting. In the second, though, he got his takedown and was able to position himself for some ground and pound, which he used to seal the deal.
Official decision: Tommy Gantt def. Artur Minev by TKO (ground and pound), round 2 (2:51)
Jacqueline Cavalcanti vs. Ketlen Vieira: Round one was a very close round with little action. In the second Vieira was able to take down Cavalcanti and do some damage in the ground. In the third round Cavalcanti let her hands go and was able to do some damage herself. That was too little, too late, though. Vieira did enough in the first to win over the judges and break Cavalcanti’s long winning streak.
Official decision: Ketlen Vieira def. Jacqueline Cavalcanti by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Andre Petroski vs. Cody Brundage: Petroski was all over Brundage with his wrestling in the first round. Every round starts on the feet, though, right? In the second Brundage floored Petroski with an early jump left hook. He then landed about a hundred ground strikes before the ref called it off.
Official decision: Cody Brundage def. Andre Petroski by TKO (left hook and ground and pound), round 2 (0:44)
Alice Ardelean vs. Polyana Viana: Ardelean was beating up Viana on the feet in the first. In the second she took her down and Viana made the strange choice to put on a body triangle off her back. That kept Ardelean on top of her and led to a bizarre tap out after Viana’s foot and knee got crunched under Ardelean’s posturing up body. It’s unclear how much of that was intentional from Ardelean. Ardelean claims, on the mic, that she saw the move on Instagram.
Official decision: Alice Ardelean def. Polyana Viana by verbal submission (capsule lock), round 2 (4:36)
Luis Gurule vs. Daniel Barez: These two put on a very fun brawl, which is what we expect from Flyweights on the undercard. Gurule was able to land much more offense, though, and also land the hardest shots. Some of those shots really hurt Barez. Gurule also landed a Zangief like German suplex in the second.
Official decision: Luis Gurule def. Daniel Barez by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Shauna Bannon vs. Nicolle Caliari: Caliari outwrestling Bannon for a round, but got in trouble in the second after she tired and Bannon started landing hard strikes. She got the fight to the ground again in the third and this time was able to finish things with an arm triangle.
Official decision: Nicolle Caliari def. Shauna Bannon by submission (arm triangle), round 3 (3:08)
Live stream begins at 5 p.m. ET. ..
