UFC Kansas City Preview (Holloway vs. Allen
The T-Mobile Arena in Kansas City, MO will play host to UFC on ESPN 44 Saturday April 15th. The main event will be in the featherweight division between former champion #2 Max Holloway and rising contender #4 Arnold Allen.
Holloway is trying to rebound from unanimous decision loss to Alexander Volkanovski at UFC 276 for the title. The defeat was his third consecutive to the current champion, but a win on Saturday keeps Holloway in firm position to stay in the title conversation.
Holloway recently commented on Volkanovski. "Yes, I do believe I am a better fighter than Alexander Volkanovki," Holloway said. "If I didn't believe I was a better fighter than him, then why I am fighting in the same weight class as the guy? Ask anybody. Ask anybody who has lost to anybody, 'Do you think you are a better fighter than this guy?' Of course, they are going to say yes, because once we start saying no, once you get the acceptance that this guy might be better than me, then you don't belong, and you should retire. Guys don't understand that.”
The former champion does not care about whether he is considered a contender or a gatekeeper. He is focused on his opponent in Kansas City. “We’ll see what happens,” says Holloway. “First thing first, I’ve got a tall task in front of me with Arnold Allen. He has that crazy win streak, he’s super athletic and he’s super hungry. I can’t overlook this guy. You start overlooking a guy, you fumble the bag. I’m not going to fumble the bag.”
Holloway is preparing for anything to happen, not just what we have seen out of Allen in his last few fights. “It’s hard to use any of his fights,” says Holloway. “He fights like once a year—he always seems to get hurt, then comes back like a different fighter. I can go off some things he might do—I know he’s a very well-rounded mixed martial artist. There are a lot of questions going into this fight, and we’ll get the answers on Saturday.”
A win by Holloway would put him in the unfortunate position of waiting on the winner of the next featherweight title fight between Volkanovski and interim champion Yair Rodriguez. A fourth fight with Volkanovski is a hard sell in the current state of the featherweight division. A loss would put him in the even more unfortunate position as the featherweight division’s stepping stone.
Allen has won 12 straight fights and most recently defeated Calvin Kattar by TKO after Kattar suffered a knee injury. The win was the biggest of his career but there was much left to be desired, hence why Holloway isn’t using that fight to prepare for Allen.
The 29-year-old has nothing but respect for Holloway. “(Max is an) ex-champion, one of the greatest featherweights of all time,” Allen said. “His resume is nothing short of inspiring. He’s done all the things I want to do, and he’s set the path for the things I want to do too.”
The English fighter went on to say, “He’s rarely in a boring fight,” Allen said. The way he fights is going to bring the best out of myself. I’m looking forward to it. … It’s never a thought about trying to be the guy to put him down. It’s never the thought, whoever you’re fighting. You’re always thinking about the five rounds and doing the distance. Obviously the goal is always to try to finish, but the thought is to go five rounds.”
A thirteenth straight win over a future hall of famer will put Allen in a great position to challenge for the title. He has great power but Holloway has proven to have one of the best chins in the UFC. Will Allen finally crack the code, or will he become another fighter to be outworked by Holloway?
The rest of the main card:
Featherweight - #14 Edson Barboza vs. Billy Quarantillo
Light Heavyweight - #13 Dustin Jacoby vs. #15 Azamat Murzakanov
Light Heavyweight - Ion Cutelaba vs.Tanner Boser
Bantamweight - #9 Pedro Munhoz vs. #13 Chris Gutierrez
Lightweight - Clay Guida vs. Rafa Garcia
ESPN + Prelims:
Featherweight - TJ Brown vs. Bill Algeo
Flyweight - #4 Brandon Royval vs. #5 Matheus Nicolau
Light Heavyweight - Zak Cummings vs. Ed Herman
Strawweight - Piera Rodriguez vs. Gillian Robertson
Lightweight - Lando Vannata vs. Daniel Zellhuber
Strawweight - Bruna Brasil vs. Denise Gomes
Bantamweight - Gaston Bolanos vs. Aaron Phillips
Women’s Bantamweight - Joselyne Edwards vs. Lucie Pudilova
