LAS VEGAS – Arnold Allen knows exactly how big of an opportunity he’s got on his hands this weekend.
Fighting on network television in a UFC co-main event is a big deal. But Allen (16-1 MMA, 7-0 UFC) sees his opponent, Sodiq Yusuff (11-1 MMA, 4-0 UFC), as a stern challenge, as well.
Sure, “Almighty” has already beaten more stablished names like Gilbert Melendez and Nik Lentz, but Allen knows exactly how respected Yusuff is as a prospect, too.
“This is huge,” Allen told MMA Junkie at Wednesday’s UFC on ABC 2 media session at the UFC Apex. “I think this is bigger than the fights with the big names, you know? Like, this is me against another big prospect isn’t it? It’s like proving time.”
Allen is currently ranked No. 11 in the latest USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie featherweight rankings, with Yusuff checking in just behind at No. 14.
Allen was briefly linked to a fight this past November with veteran slugger Jeremy Stephens, but when that fight was scrapped, he was ultimately paired with Yusuff. It’s a matchup he admits he didn’t see coming but was extremely pleased with once it was offered.
“I was a bit surprised,” Allen said. “Obviously, I was supposed to fight Stephens, and I was expecting, like, another veteran like that, you know – something like that or Stephens, himself. Nothing was happening, and
then we got offered Sodiq, and I was like, ‘You know what? Yeah, that’s a perfect matchup.”
Despite the importance of the matchup, it does seem to be flying a little under the radar, with most of the attention on this weekend’s event focused around late replacement Kevin Holland and his headlining bout with Marvin Vettori. But Allen knows the hardcore fans are aware of the impact this fight could have on the division’s future.
“All the guys that follow the sport, they know,” Allen said. “Obviously people that don’t follow it so much, you know, they might not know the names. There’s people out there that still think Anderson Silva is the champion, you know what I mean? So yeah – but people that don’t know, it’s less important than the hardcore. You know, for me, the hardcore fans, their opinion, that’s what matters.”
Allen and Yusuff have a big stage on which to make a statement with their performances on Saturday, and even if they’re not mainstream products now, they might be very shortly. Allen said he’s ready for the moment.
“We’ve got out and prove ourselves,” Allen said. “Two hot prospects, and it’s kind of winner-takes-all, you know? We want to go out and prove we deserve to be amongst that top 10.”
To hear the full interview with Allen, check out the video above.
Arnold Allen sees Sodiq Yusuff as breakout opportunity: ‘It’s proving time’
