UFC Vegas 117 Post-Event Facts: Featherweight Veteran Continues Thrilling Knockout Streak

UFC Vegas 117 is in the books, and with it, one of the best featherweight fights of the year. In the main event, English competitor Arnold Allen engaged in a five-round spectacle with Brazilian hard-puncher Melquizael Costa, emerging with his hand raised by unanimous decision. In the second to last match of the evening, Choi Doo-ho announced himself as a 145-lb contender by starching the streaking Daniel Santos.

Check out some of the most interesting post-event facts about the main card fighters of UFC Vegas 117 down below.

UFC Vegas 117: Khaos Williams def. Nikolay Veretennikov

Khaos Williams

Williams' win over Veretennikov is his first victory in nearly two years since besting Carlston Harris at UFC Vegas 92 back in 2024. It's also his ninth professional win stemming from knockout, as well as his sixth stoppage occurring in the first round.

Nikolay Veretennikov

Veretennikov's loss to Williams is his first-ever defeat by strikes in the first round. It was also his second setback by knockout in his last five bouts. His 2026 record now stands at 1-1.

Exiting UFC Vegas 117, he is now 2-4 in his last six fights.

UFC Vegas 117: Bernardo Sopaj def. Timothy Cuamba

Bernardo Sopaj

Sopaj's UFC Vegas 117 win over Cuamba was his second victory in a row after losing to Vinicius Oliveira in his UFC debut in 2024. It also was his fourth win as a professional by submission.

The record of his last two opponents totals to 22-7

 Timothy Cuamba

Cuamba's loss to Sopaj served as the end of his previous two-fight winning streak. It's also the first time he had been defeated by submission since 2021. Coincidentally, he also lost that contest by rear-naked choke as well

His UFC record now stands at 2-3

UFC Vegas 117: Modestas Bukauskas def. Christian Edwards

Modestas Bukauskas

Bukaukas' win over Edwards was the sixth career victory by the scorecards as a professional. It was also the second time in his last four bouts that he has won a match by split decision.

He is now 7-2 in his second stint with the UFC since rejoining the company in 2023.

Christian Edwards

Edwards loss to Bukauskas is his second defeat in his last three contests to end via the judges' decision, losing previously to Luke Fernandez at CFFC 142 back in 2025. He has not gotten his hand raised in a major promotion since 2021 when he bested Simon Biyong at Bellator 261.

UFC Vegas 117: Juan Díaz def. Malcolm Wellmaker

Juan Díaz

Diaz' win over Wellmaker extended his current winning streak to nine consecutive victories. It also was his second straight second-round stoppage triumph after finishing Won Il Kwon last October on Contender Series,

He leaves UFC Vegas 117 with his first Performance of the Night bonus.

Malcolm Wellmaker

Wellmaker's loss to Díaz is his second successive setback since losing for the first time as a professional to Ethyn Ewing last year at UFC 322. It's also his first defeat by submission since his fourth amateur bout back in 2019.

In both of his losses in the UFC, he has been taken down at least three times after previously holding a 100 percent  takedown defense rate in the organization

UFC Vegas 117: Choi Doo-ho def. Daniel Santos

Choi Doo-ho

Choi's win over Santos is his third victory in a row, as well as  his third knockout stoppage in a row, with two of those ending in the second round. He also netted a Performance of the Night bonus, making it his sixth post-fight award overall

Daniel Santos

Santos' loss by strikes to Choi was his first setback since losing to Julio Arce at UFC 273 in his promotional debut. It was also the first time that he had been finished in his entire MMA career.

He is now 4-2 in his last six bouts.

UFC Vegas 117: Arnold Allen def. Melquizael Costa

Arnold Allen

Allen's win over Costa is his 21st victory as a professional. It's also the first time he had managed to knock down his opponent in the UFC since dropping Sodiq Yusuff in the 2021 clash.

He is now 1-1 in main event tilts.

After UFC Vegas 117, he has now won 10 scraps as a professional by decision

Melquizael Costa

Costa's loss to Allen marked his first setback at featherweight in the UFC after logging eight fights in the division over nearly the last three years. He had not lost a match at 145-lb since 2018.

He has outlanded his last seven opponents in significant strikes