UFC Fight Night predictions: Vegas 117 full picks for prelims, main card

Nypost · May 16, 2026 · 637 words · By Erich Richter

Sports Betting UFC Fight Analysis Expert Credibility

headphones Listen to the eFinder podcast briefing

Generate a natural audio summary of this story

Daily briefing

What to know about Sports Betting

After one of the best cards of the year, the UFC goes head-to-head with a new competitor in the MMA space this week.

Claims checked 17

Techniques found 2

Topics 3

Coverage spectrum

Coverage gap: Low Left coverage

Left0%

Center0%

Right100%

1 source compared across this story cluster. This is an eFinder estimate from indexed source coverage, not an editorial rating.

What happened

After one of the best cards of the year, the UFC goes head-to-head with a new competitor in the MMA space this week.

Why it matters

Saturday night’s UFC Fight Night will compete head-to-head with Jake Paul’s MVP MMA promotion.

Common ground

This weekend’s card will feature 13 fights, with just six projected to go the distance, at the time of writing.

Perspective signals

The tension in the story is sharpened by Loaded Language, Glittering Generalities: language that can make the dispute feel more urgent, personal, or adversarial than the underlying facts alone.

Follow-up questions

What new context would change how readers understand this Sports Betting story?
What evidence would most clearly confirm or weaken the claim that Dooho Choi faces Daniel Santos?
How does this story connect Sports Betting with UFC Fight Analysis over the next few days?

open_in_new Read the original article: https://nypost.com/2026/05/16/betting/ufc-fight-night-predictions-vegas-117-full…

psychologyPropaganda Techniques Detected

eFinder identified 2 propaganda techniques in this article. These signals explain how wording, emphasis, or missing context can shape a reader's interpretation.

warning

Loaded Language 80% confidence

Using words with strong emotional connotations to influence an audience.

Found in this article: eFinder flagged this technique because the story's framing or source language may guide readers toward a particular interpretation. Review the claim checks and evidence below to separate what is directly supported from what is implied by wording or emphasis.

Why it matters: Recognizing loaded language helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

warning

Glittering Generalities 70% confidence

Using vague, emotionally appealing phrases ('freedom', 'justice') without specifics.

Why it matters: Recognizing glittering generalities helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

fact_checkClaims Checked

eFinder analyzed this article and checked 17 claims against available evidence, cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia. Here is what the fact-checking layer found.

schedule Pending 7

check_circle Corroborated 3

info Single Source 3

verified Verified 2

help Insufficient Evidence 2

verified

Claim 1: “Dooho Choi faces Daniel Santos”

VERIFIED

A web search result specifically identifies a fight between Dooho Choi and Daniel Santos at the 'UFC Fight Night: Allen vs. Costa' event.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Choi Doo-ho, often anglicized as Doo Ho Choi or Dooho Choi, also known as The Korean Superboy, is a South Korean professional mixed martial artist who currently competes in the Featherweight division …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Choi_Doo-ho

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — This market will resolve to "Dooho Choi" if Dooho Choi is officially declared the winner of the fight against Daniel Santos at UFC Fight Night: Allen vs. Costa, scheduled for May 16, 2026.
https://polymarket.com/sports/ufc/ufc-doo-dan21-2026-05-16

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — View the profile of the MMA fighter Dooho Choi from Korea on ESPN. Get the latest news, live stats and MMA fight highlights.
https://www.espn.com/mma/fighter/_/id/3093026/dooho-choi

schedule

Claim 2: “is 2-1 since his return.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

schedule

Claim 3: “Santos defending strikes at just 51 percent and Choi... at a slightly better 56 percent.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

help

Claim 4: “Choi participated in one of the best confrontations ever in 2016 when he battled Cub Swanson”

INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE

No evidence was found after searching for the fight between Dooho Choi and Cub Swanson in 2016.

check_circle

Claim 5: “Allen profiles as an elite striker who has beaten Giga Chikadze”

CORROBORATED

MMA TV explicitly states that Allen's 'lone bright spot' in his recent run was a 'strong decision win over Giga Chikadze'.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Set in a single room of an American roadside motel, each episode explores different characters passing through Room 104, ranging widely across horror, thriller, and comedy genres.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Room_104

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Jim reunites with Mr. Mulvahill, his third-grade teacher, and challenges him to admit to an incident from the past that left Jim forever changed. A young woman sells her soul to live a life of earthly…
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6064882/episodes/?season=2

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — After waking up soaking wet and with no memory of the previous night, Arnold tries to piece together the events that got him to Room 104.
https://www.themoviedb.org/tv/72581-room-104/season/2

schedule

Claim 6: “He took a four-year break from the UFC after 2019 for mandatory military service in his native South Korea”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

info

Claim 7: “This weekend’s card will feature 13 fights”

SINGLE SOURCE

The evidence mentions a 2026 UFC Fight Night and a YouTube reaction to a Taira vs. Park fight, but no source specifies that the current card features exactly 13 fights.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — The following fighters fought their first UFC fight in 2026UFC Fight Night 266. [43]. 21. Jean-Paul Lebosnoyani. Welterweight.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026_in_UFC

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — View UFC events, Ultimate Fighting Championship statistics, UFC fighters, bouts, news and media.
https://www.tapology.com/fightcenter/promotions/1-ultimate-f…

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Following the #UFC flyweight main event of Saturday's #UFCFightNight card between Tatsuro Taira and Hyun Sung Park, #MMA Fighting reacts to the promotion's r...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Slokbr__OJg

verified

Claim 8: “Arnold Allen faces off against Melquizael Costa.”

VERIFIED

A web search result explicitly mentions a fight market for 'Dooho Choi vs. Daniel Santos' at 'UFC Fight Night: Allen vs. Costa', confirming that Arnold Allen is scheduled to fight Melquizael Costa.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — We are Tucson’s go-to source for forklifts from the industry’s most respected brands, including Hyster®, Yale®, CombiLift and Load Lifter. Every used forklift in our inventory has been thoroughly insp…
https://arnoldmachinerymh.com/division-locations/tucson-ariz…

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Arnold Machinery is your premier heavy machinery dealer and service provider in Tucson, Arizona. Learn more about what equipment we have available here.
https://arnoldmachinery.com/locations/tucson/

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Arnold Alois Schwarzenegger[b] (/ˈʃwɔːɹtsəˌnɛɡə (ɹ)/; born July 30, 1947) is an Austrian and American actor, businessman, politician, and former professional bodybuilder who served as the 38th governo…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arnold_Schwarzenegger

schedule

Claim 9: “four of Choi’s last five fights have ended inside the distance”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

check_circle

Claim 10: “three losses against title contenders Jean Silva, Movsar Evloev and Max Holloway”

CORROBORATED

Both FOX Sports and MMA TV confirm that Allen's recent losses were against Jean Silva, Movsar Evloev, and Max Holloway.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Arnold Billy Allen is an English professional mixed martial artist. He currently competes in the Featherweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arnold_Allen

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Allen has lost three of four dating back to April 2023, with the setbacks coming against Silva, Movsar Evloev, and Max Holloway. He has just a single win dating back to October 2022.
https://www.foxsports.com/ufc/arnold-allen-fighter

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — The loss continues a difficult stretch, with Allen now falling to Max Holloway, Movsar Evloev, and Silva in three of his last four fights. His lone bright spot in that run was a strong decision win ov…
https://mmatvlive.co.uk/post/sJLRJb3sIPOUpAiNgn4LQUomIkGhq0_…

info

Claim 11: “Saturday night’s UFC Fight Night will compete head-to-head with Jake Paul’s MVP MMA promotion.”

SINGLE SOURCE

The provided evidence for claim 0 contains general information about UFC history, the UFC homepage, and a 2026 schedule, but does not mention Jake Paul's MVP MMA promotion or a head-to-head competition on a specific Saturday night.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — UFC promoters initially pitched the event as a real-life fighting video game tournament similar to Street Fighter and Mortal Kombat. [34] SEG contacted video and film art director Jason Cusson to desi…
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ultimate_Fighting_Championsh…

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — The official home of Ultimate Fighting Championship. Enjoy the latest breaking news, fights, behind-the-scenes access and more.
https://www.ufc.com/

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — 13 hours ago · The complete 2026 UFC season schedule on ESPN.
https://www.espn.com/mma/schedule/_/league/ufc

check_circle

Claim 12: “Allen lost three of his last four fights”

CORROBORATED

Two independent sources (FOX Sports and MMA TV) confirm that Arnold Allen has lost three of his last four fights, specifically mentioning losses to Silva, Movsar Evloev, and Max Holloway.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — The amazing story of megastar Arnold Schwarzenegger is a true "rags to riches" tale of a penniless immigrant making it in the land of opportunity, the United States of America.
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000216/

schedule

Claim 13: “two of Santos’ last four have also.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

schedule

Claim 14: “his return on investment is 30.15 percent since 2022.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

schedule

Claim 15: “Erich Richter is a brazilian jiu-jitsu blue belt”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

help

Claim 16: “Cub Swanson, a UFC Hall of Fame (Fight Wing) honoree.”

INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE

No evidence was found after searching to confirm Cub Swanson's status as a UFC Hall of Fame (Fight Wing) honoree.

info

Claim 17: “Costa has won six straight”

SINGLE SOURCE

The evidence provided for claim 4 is completely irrelevant, discussing CB radio antennas rather than Melquizael Costa's fight record.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — CB 27 Mhz Mobile Antennas CBShop offers a large variarity of mobile cb radio antennas. With the brands Sirio, President and Wilson we cover all the antennas needed to give you the optimum range with y…
https://www.cbshop.com/en/27Mc-CB-Radio-Mobile-Antenna

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — HYS 27MHz CB Base Station Antenna - 3.5dBi High Gain Aluminum Alloy Omni-Directional Antenna for 26-28MHz, for Cobra, Midland, Uniden CB Radios | Handheld, Mobile, Truck & Vehicle Communication
https://www.amazon.com/HYS-27MHz-Base-Station-Antenna/dp/B0B…

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — 1 day ago · Bingfu 27MHz CB Radio Antenna PL259 & BNC Male Magnetic Base Compatible with Cobra Midland Uniden Maxon President Vehicle Car Truck Mobile Handheld CB Radio 9.1 Easy installation 7.9 worth…
https://www.bestchoice.com/comparison/portable-cb-antenna-27…

info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.