Melquizael Costa is climbing, and UFC Vegas 117 gives him the gatekeeper test that tells us if he is ready for the next tier at featherweight. Arnold Allen may not be a fresh name anymore, but he is still a dangerous veteran with the style and experience to check Costa’s rise. Costa is trying to force his way toward the title conversation, and Allen is trying to defend his rank.

Best bets, a sleeper fight you don’t want to miss, and full main card picks for: Arnold Allen vs Melquizael Costa, Dooho Choi vs Daniel Santos, Malcolm Wellmaker vs Juan Diaz, Modestas Bukauskas vs Christian Edwards, Timmy Cuamba vs Benardo Sopaj plus the recap of UFC 328: Chimaev vs Strickland.

Timestamps below:

Introduction: 0:00

UFC 328 Recap: 1:09

AJ's Sleeper of the Week: 7:37

Stats You Need to Know: 9:26

Timmy Cuamba vs Benardo Sopaj: 12:10

Modestas Bukauskas vs Christian Edwards: 18:36

Malcolm Wellmaker vs Juan Diaz: 23:12

Dooho Choi vs Daniel Santos: 28:50

Arnold Allen vs Melky Costa: 34:18

Best Bets of the Week: 41:19

Prelim Pourover: 44:12

Derick and AJ bring you MMA analysis, UFC picks, and fight betting breakdowns every week. Bloody Water Podcast, in association with Fight Muse Media.

Khamzat Chimaev switches from being the boogeyman of the middleweight division to carrying the pressure that comes with the crown. Former Middleweight champ Sean Strickland is trying to prove he can shut down the wrestling, win back the title, and show he never should have lost the belt in the first place. This middleweight main event brings pressure, chaos, and a real question for the division: do we finally get a long-term champion again, or does the title keep changing hands?


Best bets, a sleeper fight you don’t want to miss, and full main card picks for: Khamzat Chimaev vs Sean Strickland, Tatsuro Taira vs Joshua Van, Waldo Cortes-Acosta vs Alexander Volkov, Joaquin Buckley vs Sean Brady, King Green vs Jeremy Stephens, plus the recap of UFC Perth: Della Maddalena vs Prates.

Timestamps below:

Introduction: 0:00

UFC Perth Recap: 1:20

AJ's Sleeper of the Week: 9:23

Stats You Need to Know: 11:04

King Green vs Jeremy Stephens: 13:13

Sean Brady vs Joaquin Buckley: 18:35

Alexander Volkov vs Waldo Cortes-Acosta: 25:06

Joshua Van vs Tatsuro Taira: 30:48

Khamzat Chimaev vs Sean Strickland: 37:29

Best Bets of the Week: 47:20

Prelim Pourover: 50:13


Derick and AJ bring you MMA analysis, UFC picks, and fight betting breakdowns every week. Bloody Water Podcast, in association with Fight Muse Media.

Jack Della Maddalena gets the chance to remind everybody who he was before Islam Makhachev changed the conversation. One loss to a once-in-a-generation talent does not erase what JDM has built, but he still has to get past the surging southpaw striker Carlos Prates to hit the reset button. UFC Perth gives us a dangerous welterweight main event where somebody’s title case takes a real hit, while the other moves one step closer to a shot at gold.

Best bets, a sleeper fight you don’t want to miss, and full main card picks for: Jack Della Maddalena vs Carlos Prates, Beneil Dariush vs Quillan Salkilld, Tim Elliott vs Steve Erceg, Shamil Gaziev vs Brando Peričić, Tai Tuivasa vs Louie Sutherland, plus the recap of UFC Vegas 116: Sterling vs Zalal.

Timestamps below:

Introduction: 0:00


UFC Vegas 116 Recap: 0:54


AJ's Sleeper of the Week: 9:29


Stats You Need to Know: 10:50

Tai Tuivasa vs Louie Sutherland: 13:15

Shamil Gaziev vs Brando Peričić: 19:58

Tim Elliott vs Steve Erceg: 25:38

Beneil Dariush vs Quillan Salkilld: 31:22

Jack Della Maddalena vs Carlos Prates: 38:14


Best Bets of the Week: 48:13


Prelim Pourover: 50:37


Derick and AJ bring you MMA analysis, UFC picks, and fight betting breakdowns every week. Bloody Water Podcast, in association with Fight Muse Media.