Ranked featherweights open up the main card for UFC 304. #6 ranked Arnold Allen battles #10 Giga Chikadze in a matchup that has technical purists excited.
Arnold Allen vs. Giga Chikadze
Arnold Allen is coming into UFC 304 on the back of 2 losses. Those losses have come at the hands of Max Holloway and Movsar Evloev, the latter being controversial. Before those Allen had been surging through the division with finishes over Calvin Kattar & Dan Hooker. Those wins helped cement Arnold as one of the top contenders in the division. ‘Almighty’ will be looking to bounce back against Giga at UFC 304.
Giga Chikadze is looking to re-establish himself as one of the top fighters in the division. The Georgian was storming the division before his loss to Calvin Kattar. ‘Ninja’ bounced back with an impressive decision win against Alex Caceres. Giga can make a huge statement with a win over Allen and propel himself towards the top 5 in the division.
The Fight
Round 1 saw Allen struggle with the movement and speed of Chikadze. Despite pressuring, Allen was forced to block several high-kicks from Giga’s right leg. The speed difference was apparent in this opening round – however Allen was able to start landing left hands, showing promise going into the second. The round ended with a flying knee attempt from Giga which grazed the head of the Englishman.
Following instructions from his coach Firas Zahabi to string together combos, round 2 saw a much improved Allen. Chikazde stayed circling towards the left side of ‘Almighty’, leading him to be caught repeatedly by his left hand. Giga’s movement is still extremely effective, however it is clear that he has slowed down compared to the first round. The end of the round sees Allen bloody Chikadze’s nose, making it clear that he has found his timing.
The constant movement of Chikadze has led the Georgian to slow significantly since the start of the fight, providing plentiful opportunity for the English native. Allen continues to keep his foot on the gas and capitalise off of his opponent’s fatigue, finding home for his left hand along the way. A mixture of pressure and significant strikes indicate that the fight is now in his hands.
The final horn is sounded – both men have gone the full 15 minutes. Scorecards are then read to reveal Allen has won the fight by unanimous decision, with all three judges scoring the fight 29-28 in his favor.
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