Arnold Allen believes past damage could play a role in fight against Max Holloway: “He’s been in a lot of crazy fights for a long time”
UFC featherweight contender Arnold Allen believes past damage could play a role in his return.
‘Almighty’ has been out of the octagon since his clash with Calvin Kattar last October. In the second round, ‘The Boston Finisher’ collapsed with a knee injury, handing Allen the win. It was later learned the injury was a torn ACL that could hold Kattar out until 2024.
Nonetheless, the victory was yet another big win for the British contender. The win also moved his winning streak to 12, having previously defeated names such as Dan Hooker and Gilbert Melendez during that stretch. Following the victory over Kattar, Allen called for a title shot, or a top contender next.
Arnold Allen got his wish, as he will face Max Holloway in the main event of UFC Kansas City in April. ‘Blessed’ has been out of action since his unanimous decision defeat at the hands of Alexander Volkanovski last July. In that trilogy clash, ‘The Great’ inflicted a lot of damage on the Hawaiian.
Allen seems to believe that damage could play a role in his own matchup with Holloway. During an interview on The MMA Hour with Ariel Helwani, the Brit previewed his return. There, he pondered if past damage could be big against the former champion.
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“He’s only human, right? The damage has got to catch up to you,” stated Arnold Allen during a recent appearance on The MMA Hour. “He’s not much older than me, but he’s been in a lot of crazy fights for a long time against top-tier athletes. He’s taken a lot of damage but he always gives as good as he takes as well. It’s hard to say really, he’s there to be hit. He takes a lot of damage but Volkanovski is Volkanovski so. He’s looked better every time he fights.”
He continued, “But, what you’re expecting from me is probably what I’m going to say. I’m expectating the best version, and I’m preparing for the best version. I’m training for his best.”
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