Max Holloway has earned his standing as one among UFC’s biggest featherweight champions, however Arnold Allen says the work that acquired him there will likely be his undoing. Holloway and Allen meet in the principle occasion of UFC Fight Night on April 15 with title implications in play, significantly for Allen.
Allen has quietly labored his approach into title competition with an ideal 10-0 UFC run. His sluggish construct from debutant to top-flight contender is being rewarded with a high-profile combat towards the fan-favorite former featherweight champion. Allen praises Holloway as essentially the most professional take a look at within the division, however believes “Blessed” is cursed by his all-action fashion. Holloway has absorbed a median of 157 important strikes in every of his final 5 fights. By distinction, Allen has absorbed a complete of 147 important strikes in his final 5 fights mixed.
“He’s Max Holloway, he is nice. His mileage is gonna catch up,” Allen instructed “Morning Kombat” in a current interview. “It would not matter how previous you might be if you have got 20 fights the place each combat is a back-and-forth, 50-50 battle. Even when he is been very dominant, he is taken quite a lot of photographs. So yeah, the miles have gotten so as to add up.”
Holloway stays arguably the second-best featherweight within the UFC regardless of Yair Rodriguez capturing the interim championship at UFC 284. It is a trio of losses to reigning champion Alexander Volkanovski — Holloway’s solely featherweight losses within the final 9 years — that has gridlocked him out of the fast title scene.
“When they introduced Yair Rodriguez preventing Josh Emmett, the one factor that might be higher than not getting an interim combat was to combat Max Holloway and to beat Max Holloway,” Allen stated. “Obviously, Max beat Yair within the final one. So he, for me, is a extra credible spot than beating Yair.”
Allen applauded Holloway’s psychological warfare, which he describes as a stark distinction to thoughts video games performed by different fighters. The often-imitated Conor McGregor method entails ruthless, private trash speak within the lead-up to a combat. Holloway has a extra “Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde” strategy to combat psychology. Allen says Holloway’s laid-back, nice-guy character provides solution to his aggressive spirit mid-fight. Holloway frustrates opponents by playfully whooping them. He taught Brian Ortega learn how to defend punches mid-contest and proclaimed himself to be UFC’s greatest boxer whereas touchdown a historic variety of strikes on Calvin Kattar.
“I’ve all the time beloved watching Max. Who hasn’t? He’s enjoyable to look at. He looks as if a high bloke. Not when he fights although. He’s an asshole when he fights. He hits you, he is shaking his hand and mocking you,” Allen stated. “You want to concentrate on that. He’s a pleasant man outdoors of the cage, however in there, no.
“The psychological warfare he is good at within the cage. Not even outdoors as a result of he isn’t like McGregor [who] would break individuals down earlier than [the fights] like he did to Jose Aldo. He appears to try this within the cage. He does all his speaking there, riles you up, will get you type of off your gameplan and will get you annoyed.”
Allen was orbiting round a UFC featherweight title shot even earlier than the Holloway combat was introduced. He is assured a victory over Holloway cements him because the rightful challenger for Volkanovski or Rodriguez.
“Beating him, there isn’t a extra professional path to attending to a title,” Allen stated.
