The main event fight of the night, Holloway versus Allen was as good as advertised. Holloway won the fight by unanimous decision on all three judges’ scorecards (49-46, 49-46, 48-47). For Allen this was the first defeat he has suffered in the UFC, his MMA record now stands at 19-2. Here are the major takeaways from UFC on ESPN 44:
Holloway is a serious contender– The former champ’s chin was tested plenty by Allen, but Holloway found a way to respond. He was light on his feet, using his boxing to keep Allen at bay, and using his leg kick to stall any forward momentum. Allen landed shots, but Holloway was unfazed and successfully countered everything Allen threw at him. Holloway remains one of the most dangerous fighters in the featherweight division, and with his win is now on track to continue his quest to fight one more time for the title. Holloway made history becoming the first UFC fighter to land 3,000 significant strikes.
Arnold Allen’s title shot will have to wait– Arnold Allen came into this fight with a 19-1 record and a perfect 9-0 record in the UFC. It seems that all he had to do was win and his next fight would be for a championship fight versus the winner of Volk and Rodriguez. This loss has halted Allen’s rise and it seems that championship shot will take a little longer. The good news for Allen is that he is only 29 years old and a fight or two will have him right there once again. After the fight Arnold Allen was effusive in praise of the legendary Holloway:
Barboza still a wizard– Edson Barboza is 37 years old. For the Brazilian, age is just a number. Barboza knocked out Billy Quarantillo in spectacular fashion with a knee to the face. Barboza wants to continue fighting stating after the fight “I’m in the best shape of my life and I promise the next performance will be even better”.
