UFC VEGAS 117 BETTING TIPS: TAKING THE FIGHT TO NETFLIX
Competition often breeds excellence and with Netflix entering the octagon this weekend with MVP’s Rousey vs Carano, the Ultimate Fighting Championship will look to show out in style with UFC Vegas 117 headlined by Arnold Allen vs. Melquizael Costa.
UFC Fight Night: All You Need to Know
- Start time: 22:00 BST (prelims); 01:00 BST (main card)
- Event date: Sat 16th May
- Venue: Meta APEX, Las Vegas
- How to watch: TNT Sports / HBO Max
- Event markets: Click here
Tip 1 – Costa to win the bout vs Allen @ 26/25
This is what you call a make or break situation for Arnold Allen (20-4-0) if he stands any hope of keeping his name in the title conversation.
The ‘Almighty’ Brit is on a tough run at the moment despite wins over Giga Chikadze and Calvin Katter who flattered to deceive in both fights.
Of course, you should also judge a fighter based on their losses too and losing to Jean Silva, Movsar Evloev and Max Holloway is not a good look no matter which way you shape it. That will only keep you in the top 10 for so long before a young upstart takes your spot.
Take Melquizael Costa (26-7-0) for example – the Brazilian featherweight is currently riding a six-fight win streak with two straight knockouts over Dan Ige and Morgan Charriere.
Allen walks into Las Vegas the favourite but ‘The Dalmation’ has shown enough in his last few fights – both on his feet in striking exchanges and on the ground to get himself out of some sticky situations – for us to back the hungry underdog.
Simply put: this dog will have his day.
Tip 2 – Choi to win by KO, TKO or DQ @ 14/5
It’s been a little while, almost two years to be exact, but Doo Ho Choi (16-4-1) is back in the UFC ready to do what he does best: knock someone clean out.
That someone is Daniel Santos (14-2-0), a relentless competitor with plenty of scalps in his own right as someone with five straight wins – two by knockout, including a recent win over JooSang Yoo at UFC 320.
‘The Korean Superboy’ goes into Saturday the underdog for this reason but the sort of power he has doesn’t diminish; it only gets stronger with age, as does the sort of stubbornness that sees you through fights like Nate Landwehr and Bill Algeo.
There’s gaps in his fight history sure but the sheer size advantage he poses over Santos, coupled with how accurate a striker he is over ‘Willycat’, make him as dangerous as he’s always been.
The call is Choi to win by KO, TKO or DQ currently priced at a standout 14/5.
Tip 3 – Wellmaker by KO, TKO or DQ @ 27/20
One knockout to set up the other.
That’s right, we’re predicting back-to-back knockouts at UFC Vegas 117 with Malcolm Wellmaker (10-1-0) setting up the aforementioned Choi to do his thing shortly after.
‘The Machine’ ended his first three fights by KO/TKO to critical acclaim but was stopped by Ethyn Ewing in his last appearance last November – a result that doesn’t look so bad with what Ewing has gone on to become.
His opponent in Las Vegas is Juan Diaz (15-1-1), who is making his full main card debut here after knocking out Kwon Wonil with a brutal spinning back elbow on Contender Series.
Much like how Wellmaker broke onto the scene with his win over Adam Bramhald on the same show to earn his place on the roster, although the differences in fundamentals could not be more stark.
Diaz fought with his hands low showing next to no head movement – the sort of critical errors that the American will punish here.
And punish definitively well within three rounds.
Odds correct at time of publication but subject to change
