Arnold Allen is frustrated but hopes for a top 5 opponent for his return this year!
British contender Arnold ‘Almighty’ Allen is on a tear in the UFC at the moment. The ‘Almighty’ currently holds an 18-1 record in MMA and has a run of 9 consecutive wins inside the UFC octagon. Back in March, he secured the biggest win of his career when he knocked out City Kickboxing’s Dan Hooker at UFC London.
We expected to see Allen back in London last month with his big win. Unfortunately, it was injuries that prevented him from getting the crack at another hometown win.
“It’s still these fragile things. It was just a bit too soon,” Allen said recently on The MMA Hour, showing off his hands. “It was both hands this time. Dan’s got a hard head. I’ve just got to be patient, I guess. I broke this one [left hand] against Sodiq [Yusuff], and I guess it wasn’t perfect back in the Hooker fight. Then I had more issues in both hands. Then I had two cortisone shots recently in [my right hand] and one in [my left]. It was feeling good for like two weeks when I had steroid hands, and then I started sparring again, and I hurt them again. So now I’m back. So slowly but surely, we’ll get there.”
Momentum
Since signing for the UFC back in 2015, Allen has only managed to fight nine times in seven years. Predominately due to the above-mentioned injuries to his hands.
The injuries have made it difficult for Allen to build momentum. After his win in March, he moved up to number 6 in the Featherweight rankings. The division is looking to make a title fight for Yair Rodriguez, who is only on a one-fight win streak, or Josh Emmett, who boasts a five-fight streak. However, Allen’s unbeaten streak is far more impressive than Emmett’s or Yair’s. The one thing that holds him back from the others is his lack of activity in the cage compared to them, which Allen admits to being frustrated by.
“My whole career, I’ve been very frustrated. But when I sit there, and I really think about it, it’s going really well, so I can’t really complain,” Allen said. “A lot of people send me messages, or I’m tagged in comments. People complain or talk crap, saying I only fight once a year. And I get it. I do. But it’s like, I don’t want to.”
Nevertheless, Allen looks to fight again before the year ends.
“It would be nice [to be in the mix]. I’m confident I’m going to fight this year and optimistic it’s going to be one of those top-five guys,” Allen said. “So with a win over one of those boys, for sure, I don’t think there’s any reason I don’t get a shot at something good.
If Allen does come back before the end of 2022, it would be hard to deny him a top 5 contender or even a number one contender fight.
Who would you like to see Arnold fight next? Does he fight before 2023?
Featured image credits to Embed from Getty Images
