Arnold Allen vs Melquizael Costa set

Arnold Allen and Melquizael Costa are set for the featherweight main event of UFC Fight Night 276 after both fighters made weight at Friday’s official session in Las Vegas. The UFC listed the card as “Allen vs. Costa” and said the event will take place Saturday, May 16, at Meta APEX. MMA Junkie reported the weigh-ins were a perfect session, with no misses across the card. The main event is scheduled for five rounds, while the rest of the bouts are set for three, according to the UFC event page. ### How was the main event finalized? Friday’s official weigh-ins cleared the last formal step before the fight. UFC’s weigh-in results page said Allen and Costa both hit the featherweight limit for a non-title bout, confirming the headliner would go forward as scheduled. MMA Junkie reported Allen weighed 145 pounds and Costa weighed 145.5 pounds at the Meta APEX session in Las Vegas. The outlet described the weigh-ins as a “perfect session,” meaning every scheduled fighter on the card made weight. (ufc.com) ### Who are Arnold Allen and Melquizael Costa entering this fight? Arnold Allen enters the bout with a 20-4 record, according to MMA Junkie and ESPN’s fight page. UFC’s event listing identifies Allen as the No. 7 fighter in its featherweight rankings and lists him as representing England. (mmajunkie.usatoday.com) Melquizael Costa enters with a 26-7 record, according to MMA Junkie and ESPN. UFC’s event page lists Costa at No. 12 in the division and identifies him as fighting out of Brazil. ESPN’s matchup page lists Allen, 32, and Costa, 29, as southpaws, with Allen at 5-foot-8 and Costa at 5-foot-10. (mmajunkie.usatoday.com) The same page lists Allen with a 70-inch reach and Costa with a 71-inch reach. ### Where and when is UFC Fight Night 276 taking place? UFC Fight Night 276 is scheduled for Saturday, May 16, at Meta APEX in Las Vegas, according to UFC’s official event page. (mmajunkie.usatoday.com) The promotion says the prelims begin at 5 p.m. ET and the main card starts at 8 p.m. ET. The UFC event page says the card will stream live on Paramount+. (espn.com) ESPN’s fight-center listing also shows the event from Meta APEX in Las Vegas on May 16. ### What else is on the card? UFC’s event page lists Dooho Choi against Daniel Santos in a featherweight bout on the main card. The same listing includes Malcolm Wellmaker against Juan Diaz at bantamweight and Modestas Bukauskas against Christian Edwards at catchweight. (ufc.com) The prelim lineup on UFC’s page includes Ketlen Vieira against Jacqueline Cavalcanti, Cody Brundage against Andre Petroski, and Shauna Bannon against Nicolle Caliari. (ufc.com) MMA Junkie’s weigh-in report said all scheduled fighters made weight for those bouts as well. ### What happens next before the cage door closes? Saturday’s event is the next scheduled step, with Allen and Costa expected to headline over five rounds at featherweight. (ufc.com) UFC’s weigh-in coverage and event page both show the fight as the featured bout of the Las Vegas card. May 16 is the date on the UFC schedule, and the promotion lists the main card start time at 8 p.m. (ufc.com) ET from Meta APEX. Allen and Costa are the named headliners on the official event page and on MMA Junkie’s weigh-in coverage. (ufc.com)