Arnold Allen falls painfully short of Kansas City’s headliner as the British star suffers a unanimous decision defeat to UFC legend Max Holloway after an enthralling five-round battle
- Max Holloway earned a unanimous decision victory over Arnold Allen in Kansas
- ‘Blessed’ showed off his rock solid chin and ate up some of Allen’s best shots
- Hawaiian will face Alexander Volkanovski’s winner against Yair Rodriguez
Arnold Allen fell painfully short to UFC legend Max Holloway in his massive Kansas City headliner.
The British star’s 12-fight winning streak was broken by an outstanding performance from the Hawaiian, who thrived on the support of the partisan crowd.
Allen felt he was all but assured of a featherweight title shot if he got past the 31-year-old, but he was penalized for a slow start.
In the opening stanza, Holloway found his rhythm late and began to tear Allen apart. The heavier blows belonged to the Briton and he came very close to a head kick and a huge right hook, but it was his opponent who did enough to nick him.
The second followed a similar pattern, with Arnold doing well for the first few minutes before the momentum changed.
Max Holloway and Arnold Allen battled it out in five captivating rounds of action
There was a lot of mutual respect, but it was Holloway who showed his class
Allen landed heavy shots, but his opponent didn’t seem to be bothered in the slightest
Holloway’s body kicks were a recurring theme in the main event, dealing some damage
Allen landed a huge left hand, but he didn’t even wobble Holloway, which looked unsettling for the Briton.
Holloway’s best shot of the round was a beautiful body kick that sent shockwaves through the arena and it was an attack that he had great success with throughout.
Allen got off to a great start and landed some beefy shots in the third, catching a kick before sending a left over the top to receive a nod of acknowledgment.
Holloway turned on the style in the last minute, connecting with slamming body kicks, attempting an elbow step and then a spinning back fist.
By the championship rounds, Allen knew he had to pick up the pace and really hunt for a finish, in a battle controlled by his foe.
He waited until the fifth to go to hell for leather and in the dying seconds launched himself recklessly looking for a KO, only to end up on the canvas himself. It was the only knockdown of the fight and underlined Holloway’s hugely impressive performance.
More to follow…