British featherweight Arnold Allen has booked his second fight of 2026 in a main event at the Meta APEX in May.
In an interview with TNT Sports the 145lbs contender revealed the scene when got the call for the bout scheduled for this spring.
“I literally had fish and chips. My manager called me, do you want to fight in nine weeks? So I was like, can I call you back in the morning, I’m going to weigh myself tomorrow and I was like yeah I’ll make that, I’ll make that happen. So yeah it was good, buzzing to be back man.”
Allen competed at UFC 324 in January in a back and forth war with fan favourite Jean Silva which resulted in a disappointing defeat with a hotly contested decision. His appearance in the T-Mobile Arena was his first in almost 18 months due to injury. Inactivity has always plagued the career of the Englishman and in 2026 he is aiming to put that to rest.
Arnold Allen Previews His Next Fight
Now ranked at number 8 in the featherweight division and with only one victory in his last four outings Allen is in a position where he must defend his spot against the rising stars. The Englishman had the following to say about his next opponent, Melquizael Costa.
“Mate he’s [Costa] surging, he is going to be confident. He just knocked out a guy that’s never been finished. Dan’s [Ige] a tough guy and he took him out with a sick back kick, so yeah I’m excited for the challenge. Another southpaw so it’s a scrappy fight, a bit awkward but yeah man it’s going to be a fight.
The Brazilian Costa gets the opportunity against his toughest opponent to date after some electrifying form and performances within the UFC. With a record of 7-2 in the UFC, the Brazilian is on a 6 fight win streak with four finishes and is one of the most active fighters on the roster with 5 fights since February 2025. Destined to be a future star with fight highlights matching his multicoloured hair, furthermore he embraces his skin condition, vitiligo, aiming to inspire children with living with the condition.
Who do you think gets their hand raised in the main event of Arnold Allen vs Melquizael Costa on May 16th?