Arnold Allen falls painfully short in Kansas City headliner as British star suffers unanimous decision defeat by UFC legend Max Holloway after 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 some of Allen’s best shots
- Hawaiian will expect to face winner of Alexander Volkanovski vs Yair Rodriguez
Arnold Allen fell painfully short against UFC legend Max Holloway in his huge Kansas City headliner.
The British star’s 12-fight winning streak was broken by a vintage performance from the Hawaiian, who thrived off the partisan crowd’s support.
Allen felt he was as good as guaranteed a featherweight title shot if he found a way past the 31-year-old but he was punished for a sluggish start.
In the opening stanza, Holloway found his rhythm late on and started to pick Allen apart. The heavier blows belonged to the Brit and he came extremely close to landing a head kick and massive right hook but it was his opponent who did enough to nick it.
The second followed a similar pattern, with Arnold doing well for the first couple of minutes before a shift in momentum.
Max Holloway and Arnold Allen battled it out over five enthralling rounds of action
There was plenty of mutual respect but it was Holloway who showed his class
Allen landed heavy shots but his opponent did not seem remotely bothered by them
Holloway’s body kicks were a running theme in the main event and caused some damage
Allen landed a massive left hand but it didn’t even wobble Holloway, which looked disconcerting for the Brit.
Holloway’s best shot of the round was a beautiful body kick that sent shockwaves around the arena and it was an attack he found great success with throughout.
Allen started superbly and landed some meaty shots in the third, catching a kick before sending a left over the top to receive a nod of acknowledgement.
Holloway turned on the style in the final minute, connecting with slapping body kicks, attempting a step in elbow and then a spinning back fist.
By the championship rounds, Allen knew he needed to up the tempo and really hunt for a finish, in a fight controlled by his foe.
He waited until the fifth to go hell for leather and in the dying seconds launched himself recklessly in search of a KO but ended up rocked to the canvas himself. It was the only knockdown of the fight and underlined Holloway’s hugely impressive showing.
More to follow…
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