KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The importance of Saturday’s UFC on ESPN 44 main event is not lost on Arnold Allen.
Allen (19-1 MMA, 10-0 UFC) competes in the definitive bout of his career when he takes on former champion Max Holloway (23-7 MMA, 19-7 UFC) in a five-round bout at T-Mobile Center, which airs on ESPN following prelims on ESPN+.
Despite putting together a 10-fight winning streak inside the octagon, Allen has never faced a former UFC titleholder. Holloway is the ideal opponent for the Brit to elevate his status into the undeniable next contender at 145 pounds.
“(Max is an) ex-champion, one of the greatest featherweights of all time,” Allen told MMA Junkie and other reporters at Wednesday’s UFC on ESPN 44 media day. “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 timing for Allen in this contest is quite ideal. His main event comes just three months before Alexander Volkanovski and Yair Rodriguez are scheduled for a championship unification bout at UFC 290 in July, and Allen knows a win over Holloway would have him poised to face the winner.
“I think so,” Allen said of securing a title shot with a win. “I feel like it has to. There’s nowhere else to go then surely.”
Given the stage and the opportunity in front of him, Allen isn’t going into UFC on ESPN 44 looking for a ho-hum win. He wants to do something emphatic and is well aware what type of exclamation point he would be putting down if he became the first to knock down or knock out the durable Hawaiian.
“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.”
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 44.
Arnold Allen: ‘Nowhere else to go’ but title shot if I beat Max Holloway at UFC on ESPN 44