The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) featherweight forwards Max Holloway and Arnold Allen will face TONIGHT (Saturday, April 15, 2023) at UFC Kansas City inside the T-Mobile Center in Kansas City, Missouri.
Plenty of other fights were in Max Holloway’s position, clearly sitting second but unable to dethrone the champ. It’s not an easy circumstance at all, and most of his predecessors couldn’t find their way to the address (or in Holloway’s case, back to the address). The odds are stacked against him, but this match is a chance for Holloway to show how much he has left in the tank. On the contrary, Allen’s eight-year career in the UFC was built specifically towards this fight. He’s come a long way since his debut in the UFC, developing a very precise and precise approach to MMA. It’s sharp, effective, and likely to be in the headlines mix for a long time to come.
Let’s take a closer look at the keys to victory for every man:
Max Holloway
register:23-7
Major wins: Jose Aldo (UFC 218, UFC 212), Calvin Kattar (UFC Fight Island 7), Yair Rodriguez (UFC Vegas 42), Frankie Edgar (UFC 240), Brian Ortega (UFC 231) Anthony Pettis (UFC 206), Ricardo Lamas (UFC 199), Swanson Cup (UFC on FOX 15)
Major losses: Alexander Volkanovski (UFC 276, UFC 251, UFC 245), Dustin Poirier (UFC 236, UFC 143), Conor McGregor (UFC Fight Night 26), Dennis Bermudez (UFC 160)
Keys to victory: Holloway is probably the best sized puncher in the history of men’s MMA. A statistical anomaly, the record holder for the most strikeouts landed stats despite battling elite competition over the past decade.
In this match, Holloway faces a sweet card to himself. Allen is by no means low volume, but he is very careful in his defense and intelligently chooses when and where to trade. Holloway seeks to get the upper hand, while Allen looks to outmaneuver his opponent.
Holloway will certainly look to press here, but he will have to do so in a patient fashion to avoid getting caught by his easy left hand. Building kits will be key, and Holloway’s patented 1-2 stance should help him lock into the pocket safely and lengthen exchanges. It’s really important in this match that Holloway locks out his combinations with kicks, which will help ensure he connects with something as Allen looks to reset.
Finally, Holloway has to take a lot of straight punches into the midsection. Much like Dustin Poirier once did to upset “The Blessed,” Allen does a nice job hiding behind his shoulder and pointing his elbow while spinning out. Poirier can’t let that wrinkle slow his attack, and punching him in the ribs will convince Allen to change his defense.
Arnold Allen
register: 19-1
Key wins: Calvin Kattar (UFC Vegas 63), Sodiq Yusuff (UFC Vegas 23), Dan Hooker (UFC London), Gilbert Melendez (UFC 239), Makwan Amirkhani (UFC Fight Night 107), Mads Pernell (UFC Fight Night 130)
Major losses: no one
Keys to victory: Allen reminds me very much of Leon Edwards, who fairly recently became a training partner for the Exalted. They have different preferences in how they kick, but both tend to limit exchanges and make sure they land the bigger shots that damage and impress the referees.
Allen’s fine leg kick should be a formidable weapon against Holloway, who has never dealt low kicks so spectacularly. Not only does it damage Holloway’s leg and impede his footwork, but Holloway is not the type to hold back while being kicked. Allen does a really great job of unbalancing his opponent and gaining the outside corner with the kick, so if Holloway tries to step and hit anyway, he’ll be in a bad position to take a counter shot.
Allen’s ability to effectively save and then stop the circle will likely determine this match. I’d like to see him start the exchange with a jab or straight left, pull to parry and block, and then exit gracefully with a head motion. If he falters in the latter part, then Holloway will get the extended exchanges he wants and will likely be able to use his size effectively.
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This match will be very influential for the future of each man.
Holloway didn’t give up on Game 4 with Volkanowski, but it doesn’t seem like the best idea yet. Really, Holloway’s best shot at featherweight gold is to win here and hope Yair Rodriguez unseats the champ. Blessed was the last man to defeat Pantera, so a title shot in this scenario is very possible.
If he loses here, it might be time to really think about the lightweight move.
As for Allen, he is fighting for a title. Defeating Holloway is a massive achievement, even if some fans think Holloway’s beginning is coming to an end. Even if Allen wasn’t riding a massive 10-fight win streak, beating Holloway into the main event slot if that was more than enough to warrant a shot at Volkanovski.
At UFC Kansas City, Max Holloway and Arnold Allen will compete in the main event. Which man gains victory?
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