Arnold Allen bounced back from a tough period in his career earlier this year, but his path to a featherweight title shot remains complicated. After suffering his first UFC loss to Max Holloway in a close headliner decision and then dropping another narrow fight to Movsar Evloev, Allen is more determined than ever to climb his way back into the title conversation. However, with Holloway now planning to stay at lightweight, it seems Allen may not get a chance to avenge that loss anytime soon.
“The goal is whoever’s got the title. That’s what I want,” Arnold Allen said at UFC Fight Night 246, speaking backstage in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada,
“If he hasn’t got the title, he’s going up to ’55, then whatever.”
Allen’s defeat against Holloway snapped a remarkable 12-fight winning streak, a streak that had included back-to-back knockout wins over Dan Hooker and Calvin Kattar. Neither of those wins came easily, but they cemented Allen’s status as one of the division’s top fighters. However, the Holloway loss was a setback he felt deeply.
Arnold Allen Eyes Featherweight’s Top Contenders
In his return to the octagon, Allen faced another tough opponent, Movsar Evloev, but once again came up just short in a close decision. Despite these setbacks, Allen’s confidence remains unshaken, and he’s determined to continue pushing forward in the featherweight division. His recent victory over Giga Chikadze at UFC 304 in England has only fueled his motivation to start a new winning streak, and he’s focused on tackling some big names in 2024.
Clearing up a few injuries first, Arnold Allen is already eyeing potential matchups with top featherweights Brian Ortega and Yair Rodriguez. Both fighters have been in his sights for a while, and he’s hopeful that a fight with one of them will materialize in the first quarter of the new year.
“Anyone above me (is who I want to fight),” Allen stated. “It’s been talked about a lot: Ortega is a guy that’s been talked about after Holloway. I asked for Yair or Ortega. There was never any sort of sniff of anything. But I mentioned it, so I’m sure that they’re more realistic now.”
When it comes to the current featherweight champion, Allen believes he’s capable of matching up well against him. Although Ilia Topuria, the reigning champion, has proven himself with wins over elite fighters like Alexander Volkanovski and Holloway, Allen is confident he has what it takes to dethrone him someday.
Allen Talks What’s Next
“I want to fight the best guys in the world, and I feel like I match up pretty good with him,” Allen explained, “Back-to-back, he beat (Alexander Volkanovski) and Holloway with knockouts. Those guys are around the top for forever, and no one could beat those guys. So he definitely can be (champion for a long time), but I think there’s always new people coming.”
Allen is optimistic about what lies ahead in the featherweight division. While he might not get the rematch with Holloway he hoped for, there are still plenty of intriguing matchups available to him. Allen’s focus is firmly set on getting another shot at the top and eventually securing that elusive title shot.
For now, he’s taking things one fight at a time, hoping to put together another streak that will make him undeniable in the title conversation.
Featured image credits to Embed from Getty Images
