UFC Fight Night Report: Max Holloway defeats Arnold Allen, Edson Barboza scores big knockout win
On Saturday evening, the UFC held a Fight Night event from the T-Mobile Center in Kansas City, Missouri. The card was headlined by a bout between two of the top contenders in the featherweight division, as Arnold Allen faced the division’s former champion, Max Holloway. Allen made his UFC debut in 2015, and since joining the promotion, he has accumulated an overall record of 10-0, last defeating Calvin Kattar in October of 2022 to solidify himself as a title contender. Holloway would mark Allen’s toughest test to date, but after a third loss to Alexander Volkanovski, Holloway came into this fight in need of a big win as well. It was a highly anticipated fight between two of the featherweight divisions elite and about as strong of a main event as you are likely to see headlining a UFC Fight Night card. In the co-main event, Edson Barboza faced Billy Quarantillo, in what was sure to be an entertaining fight between two of the featherweight division’s most violent fighters.
Brendan Fitzgerald provided commentary for this card, alongside Michael Bisping and Daniel Cormier. Performance of the Night bonuses were awarded to Edson Barboza, Gillian Robertson, and Brandon Royval. Fight of the Night bonuses went out to Bill Algeo and T.J. Brown. The gate for the card was announced as $2.1M, with an attendance of 16,000.
QUICK RESULTS:
PRELIMINARY CARD:
- Joselyne Edwards def. Lucie Pudilova by split decision (29-28, 29-28, 28-29)
- Gaston Bolanos def. Aaron Phillips by unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27, 30-27)
- Denise Gomes def. Bruno Brasil by TKO at 2:42 of Round 2
- Daniel Zellhuber def. Lando Vannata by unanimous decision (29-27, 29-28, 30-27)
- Gillian Robertson def. Piera Rodríguez by armbar at 4:21 of Round 2
- Zak Cummings def. Ed Herman by TKO at 4:13 of Round 3
- Brandon Royval def. Mathew Nicolau by KO at 2:09 of Round 1
- Bill Algeo def. T.J. Brown by rear naked choke at 1:40 of Round 2
MAIN CARD:
- Rafa Garcia def. Clay Guida by unanimous decision (30-27 all)
- Pedro Munhoz def. Chris Gutierrez by unanimous decision (30-27 all)
- Ion Cutelaba def. Tanner Boser by TKO at 2:05 of Round 1
- Azamat Murzakanov def. Dustin Jacoby by unanimous decision (29-28 all)
- Edson Barboza def. Billy Quarantillo by KO at 2:37 of Round 1
- Max Holloway def. Arnold Allen by unanimous decision (49-46, 49-46, 48-47)
JOSELYNE EDWARDS (12-4, 136.5) VS LUCIE PUDILOVA (14-7, 136) – BANTAMWEIGHT
Edwards missed weight by 0.5 lbs and was fined a percentage of her purse.
Pudilova quickly shot for a takedown, but Edwards was able to defend the attempt, catching Pudilova with a knee to the midsection before they separated. Pudilova found more success on her next attempt, however, and she began to work from half guard with over three minutes to work. Edwards was able to move Pudilova into her guard, but from this position, Pudilova was able to posture up, landing some solid ground and pound strikes. In the round’s final minute, Edwards escaped to her feet but was unable to generate any significant offense before the end of the round. 10-9 Pudilova.
Edwards stuffed a takedown to begin the second round, keeping the fight on the feet. Edwards seemed to be the more comfortable fighter on the feet, but it did not take Pudilova long to bring the fight back to the ground, where she began to work from side control. She worked her way to the back of Edwards, a position that she maintained for a considerable amount of time before mounting Edwards towards the end of the round, landing some damaging elbows before time expired. 20-18 Pudilova.
Much like the previous two rounds, Edwards was able to defend Pudilova’s first takedown attempt of the round, but this time, she was able to keep the fight on the feet, where she had the clear advantage over Pudilova. Edwards was largely able to out-strike Pudilova, but the activity was not quite there, and time was quickly running out on Edwards, who was likely in need of a stoppage if she wanted to win this fight. The fight went the distance, and I scored the fight 29-28 in favour of Pudilova.
WINNER: Joselyne Edwards by split decision (29-28, 29-28, 28-29)
I thought this decision was insane. I am unsure to how one could justify scoring the fight for Edwards, who was largely dominated on the ground by Pudilova throughout the first two rounds. Edwards arguably got the better of the striking exchanges, but there were not many of those throughout the first two rounds, and even in the third round, it was not as though Edwards did significant damage. It was a puzzling decision to start the night, and an unfortunate result for Pudilova, who now holds a record of 3-6 in the UFC. Edwards on the other hand, has now won three consecutive fights, her longest win streak since 2018.
AARON PHILLIPS (12-4, 136) VS GASTON BOLANOS (6-3, 136) – BANTAMWEIGHT
Bolanos caught Phillips with a solid straight right hand as he rushed in the opening minute of the first round. Bolanos was doing a good job of countering Phillips whenever Phillips looked to close the distance but was often slightly out of range whenever he attempted to generate offense from distance. The straight right hands from Bolanos were doing significant damage whenever Phillips stepped in, however, and it felt as though Bolanos could not miss with those straight right hands throughout the first round. 10-9 Bolanos.
Phillips quickly took Bolanos to the ground in the second round, much to the disapproval of the crowd. Bolanos escaped to his feet and went on the attack, but was taken right back down, and quickly mounted by Phillips. Phillips worked his way to the back of Bolanos, but Bolanos turned into his body triangle, allowing him to escape the position and return to his feet before the end of the round, where Bolanos landed some heavy strikes before time expired. 20-18 Bolanos.
Phillips closed the distance early in the final round, as he attempted to take the fight back to the ground. He attempted what would have been an impressive back take on the feet, but Bolanos was wise to it, and he took top position on the ground, where he began to throw down damaging ground and pound strikes. The fight returned to the feet, where Bolanos landed a strong spinning elbow before Phillips took him right back down after another attempted spinning attack. Phillips attempted numerous submissions on the ground throughout the fight’s final ninety seconds, but Bolanos was able to hold on until the final horn sounded. 29-28 Bolanos.
WINNER: Gaston Bolanos by unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27, 30-27)
Bolanos looked impressive on the feet throughout this fight, and his edge in cardio gave him the advantage as the fight wore on. Phillips found success on the ground, and had Bolanos in deep trouble on multiple occasions, but would often make slight errors that allowed Bolanos to escape the dangerous positions, where he would always proceed to start throwing vicious strikes in an attempt to make up ground. Ultimately, the damage that Bolanos dealt earned him the fight, and he picked up his first decision win in his UFC debut here.
BRUNA BRASIL (8-2-1, 116) VS DENISE GOMES (6-2, 115) – FLYWEIGHT
Gomes landed a heavy kick as well as a big right hand that seemed to hurt Brasil in the opening seconds of the fight. The fighters battled in the clinch against the cage for a considerable portion of time, resulting in a lengthy stalemate. Eventually, the fighters broke apart, and Gomes connected with a heavy overhand right, before the fighters exchanged leg kicks. Late in the round, Gomes flurried forward with a series of big right hands, before securing a takedown.
Gomes took the fight back to the ground early in the second round, although Brasil was able to return to her feet quickly. Gomes caught a kick from Brasil and tripped her back down, where she proceeded to throw numerous leg kicks to her grounded opponent. Back on the feet, a big right hand knocked Brasil down hard, and Gomes swarmed her with ground and pound strikes until the fight was stopped.
WINNER: Denise Gomes by TKO at 2:42 of Round 2
Gomes was the far more aggressive fighter throughout this bout, and she landed heavy shots with regularity from the opening seconds of the fight until its eventual conclusion. Brasil was not reacting well to the right hands from Gomes, and her defensive flaws allowed Gomes to land them over and over until she eventually secured the fight-ending knockdown. It was a strong performance from Gomes, who picked up her first UFC win here after dropping her UFC debut in September of last year.
LANDO VANNATA (12-6-2, 156) VS DANIEL ZELLHUBER (12-1, 156) – LIGHTWEIGHT
Vannata and Zellhuber exchanged heavy right hands after several calf kicks from Vannata to start the fight. A left hand for Vannata found its target as he closed the distance, but Zellhuber was able to counter with a heavy knee to the body as well. A right hook from Zellhuber rocked Vannata, and he immediately went on the attack swarming Vannata with strikes as he attempted to finish the fight. Eventually, Vannata went down, and it looked as though he was done, but Zellhuber’s attack began to slow, allowing Vannata to eventually recover. Vannata took an immense amount of damage throughout this attack from Zellhuber, but he seemed to have recovered by the end of the round. 10-8 Zellhuber.
Vannata did good work throughout the opening minutes of the second round, continuing to attack the lead leg of Zellhuber while working his way in with some heavy hooks that were catching Zellhuber cleanly. The fighters traded hooks with two minutes remaining in the round before Vannata connected with a heavy left hand that Zellhuber just ate. The strike count was close throughout the second round, but Vannata seemed to land the more damaging shots throughout the round, and I thought he narrowly took this one. 19-18 Zellhuber.
Zellhuber went on the attack to start the final round, looking to remove the judges from the equation. Vannata weathered the storm, and the pace of the bout slowed as the fighters returned to the center of the cage. They traded strikes at a fairly even rate from range, with neither fighter clearly pulling ahead. In the end, the fight went the distance, and I gave Zellhuber the edge, largely due to his flurry at the start of the round. 29-27 Zellhuber.
WINNER: Daniel Zellhuber by unanimous decision (29-27, 29-28, 30-27)
The fight was very close to being stopped in the opening round, but Vannata was able to survive Zellhuber’s flurry, and the following two rounds were far closer than the scorecards imply. Vannata seemed to be the more polished fighter so to speak, but Zellhuber’s power was a difference maker, and he was able to create a big moment whenever he was in need of one, which benefited him greatly in what was a very competitive third round. Zellhuber is now 1-1 in the UFC following this win, and Vannata has lost consecutive fights for the first time in his career.
GILLIAN ROBERTSON (11-7, 116) VS PIERA RODRIGUEZ (9-0, 116) – STRAWWEIGHT
The fighters traded hands throughout the opening minute, before Robertson eventually opted to pull guard, bringing the fight to the ground. From here, Robertson was able to wrap Rodriguez up, grab a single leg, and take top position with roughly two minutes to work. Robertson controlled the remainder of the round from top position, but could not secure a finish before time expired.
Robertson wasted no time getting the fight back to the ground in round two, where she took north-south position, before moving into side control. Robertson mounted Rodriguez, and she began to throw down ground and pound strikes, opening up a cut near their right eye of Rodriguez. Robertson was doing significant damage with her elbows, and she eventually transitioned to an armbar, fully extending the arm of Rodriguez. There was controversy regarding whether or not Rodriguez tapped, but the fight was stopped, and Robertson picked up the second-round submission victory.
WINNER: Gillian Robertson by armbar at 4:21 of Round 2
Rodriguez protested the stoppage, claiming she did not tap out from Robertson’s armbar. After watching the replay, it was certainly tough to call, as Rodriguez clearly tapped a single time on the knee of Robertson, but that could have very well been a simple attempt to position her hand as well. Bruce Buffer announced the result as a verbal tap, which is another aspect of this to consider, but regardless of any potential controversies regarding the finish, this was a dominant performance from Gillian Robertson in her strawweight debut. Robertson was miles ahead of Rodriguez on the ground, and once she was able to close the distance, she had no problems with bringing Rodriguez down. It was a strong outing for Robertson, who recorded her seventh win by submission in the UFC here.
ZAK CUMMINGS (24-7, 206) VS ED HERMAN (26-15, 1 NC, 206) – LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT
Cummings quickly dropped Herman, allowing him to his feet as Cummings attempted to finish the fight. Cummings backed Herman into the cage with strikes, before taking him to the ground, where an illegal up kick from Herman resulted in a pause in the action and the fighters were stood up. The fighters traded hands, with Cummings seemingly having a considerable advantage in speed as well as power. The fighters traded body shots before both men landed left hands on the head.
A big left hook from Cummings knocked Herman down in the second round, but he recovered quickly this time. The fighters exchanged heavy hands back on the feet, and a shot from Herman opened up a cut near their left eye of Cummings. A heavy leg kick from Cummings grounded Herman momentarily, and shortly after returning to his feet, Herman was knocked back down with a left hand. Cummings followed Herman to the ground as he attempted to finish the fight, but another illegal up-kick from Herman resulted in a point deduction, as well as a separation. Herman went on the attack, knowing he was down big on the scorecards, but Cummings was just the sharper fighter, and he continued to get the better of their exchanges on the feet until the end of the round.
Cummings connected with a leg kick that sent Herman to the ground in the opening seconds of the final round. Herman returned to his feet, but he was quickly sent back to the ground, and by this point in the fight, it was clear that Herman had very little to offer Cummings, although he was doing his best to make a big moment happen. Cummings eventually backed Herman into the cage, where he dropped him one last time with a big left hand, ending the fight.
WINNER: Zak Cummings by TKO at 4:13 of Round 3
Herman certainly brought the fight for the better part of fifteen minutes, but Cummings had the considerable advantage in speed as well as power, and he was able to hurt Herman badly multiple times throughout this fight, dropping him five or six times before securing the late finish. It was an excellent performance from Cummings, with this marking his lone fight at light heavyweight, becoming one of the very few fighters in UFC history to win fights in three separate weight classes.
After the fight, both fighters announced their retirement from the sport of mixed martial arts. Cummings made his UFC debut on the seventeenth season of The Ultimate Fighter, where he was eventually signed to the promotion despite losing the competition. He split his time in the UFC at welterweight and middleweight, before ending his career with this fight at light heavyweight, ending his run in the promotion with a very respectable record of 10-4. Cummings retires from the sport with a professional record of 25-7, highlighted by wins over Herman, Alexander Yakovlev, and Terry Martin.
Herman had an even lengthier run in the promotion, officially getting signed to the UFC after his loss in the finals of the Ultimate Fighter season three middleweight tournament, all the way back in June of 2006. Herman would spend a decade fighting in the UFC’s middleweight division, before moving up to Light Heavyweight for the later years of his lengthy career. Herman retires from the sport with a professional record of 26-16 (1 NC), highlighted by wins over Scott Smith, Tim Boetsch, and Glover Teixeira.
BRANDON ROYVAL (14-6, 126) VS MATHEUS NICOLAU (19-2-1, 126) – FLYWEIGHT
Nicolau was circling the cage throughout the opening round, but eventually, he stepped right into a huge knee from Royval that dropped him hard. Royval followed Nicolau to the ground, and he quickly secured the finish with a number of vicious elbows.
WINNER: Brandon Royval by KO at 2:09 of Round 1
Nicolau was riding a six-fight win streak going into this one, and it felt as though he was perhaps a win away from a title shot, but Brandon Royval put an end to those title aspirations with a huge knee up the middle. This was a huge win for Royval against a very tricky opponent, and he has effectively re-inserted himself in the flyweight title picture, despite prior losses to both Brandon Moreno and Alexandre Pantoja, who are expected to fight for the flyweight title later this year. Royval made the most of his post-fight interview, calling out both men, and he has now won three consecutive fights.
BILL ALGEO (16-7, 146) VS T.J. BROWN (17-9, 146) – FEATHERWEIGHT
Brown attacked the lead leg of Algeo early in the fight, as Algeo attempted to slow Brown down with heavy counter hooks. Brown’s early pace was impressive, but a big shot from Algeo seemed to hurt Brown on his way in, and Algeo proceeded to take the fight to the ground with over three minutes to work. Brown chased after an armbar on the ground, which allowed him to return to his feet, where he started swinging recklessly as he attempted to knock Algeo out against the cage. Algeo weathered the storm well, but he was tagged by some big shots in the process, including a heavy right hook from Brown towards the end of what was a wild round.
The fight picked up where it left off at the start of the second round, with the fighters trading huge shots like madmen. Just when it seemed as though Brown was starting to overwhelm Algeo, a short-left elbow from Algeo knocked Brown down, and Algeo followed Brown to the ground, where he locked in a rear naked choke, forcing Brown to submit.
WINNER: Bill Algeo by rear naked choke at 1:40 of Round 2
This fight was absolutely wild while it lasted. Brown was constantly pressuring forward, throwing heavy strikes with no regard for his own safety, and while that strategy led to him doing a considerable amount of damage, it also led to his eventual loss, as Algeo was able to counter with some very well-timed shots that Brown was just charging into. In the end, Algeo caught Brown with a very short elbow that led to the rear naked choke finish and got his arm raised in impressive fashion after weathering Brown’s storm. After the fight, Algeo cut a heel promo on the Kansas City crowd, doing the pro-wrestling style fake retirement speech before turning on the crowd and saying he would never retire in a dump like Kansas City. I am sure the promo hit for some people, but these things rarely work for me, and I thought the whole thing just came across as very forced. Regardless, it will keep his name in the minds of those who watched this one, which was surely his intent. Algeo improved to 4-3 in the UFC following this win, with this marking his first submission win in the promotion.
CLAY GUIDA (38-22, 154.5) VS RAFA GARCIA (14-3, 155) – LIGHTWEIGHT
Guida seemed to be looking to brawl here, starting the fight with some heavy right hands. Garcia found success throwing his strikes down the middle, reaching his target before the looping hooks from Guida could connect. The fighters traded hands for the vast majority of the round, with Guida perhaps holding the slight edge in activity, while Garcia seemed to be landing the heavier shots. It was a close round, but I gave the slight edge to Garcia. 10-9 Garcia.
The second round played out largely like the previous round, with the fighters content to trade hands. At one point, Guida shot for a takedown, but the attempt was defended, and Garcia continued to work his jab, which was doing significant damage to Guida by this point in the fight. Guida was never in danger of being finished, but he was having a lot of trouble finding his target with his strikes, and Garcia was really pulling ahead in this fight, largely due to the effectiveness of his jab. 20-18 Garcia.
Garcia was starting to catch Guida on his way in with uppercuts in the third round, which were some of the more damaging strikes of the fight. Guida was mixing up his offense a bit more in this third round, which led to a bit more success offensively than he was finding in the previous round, but Garcia remained several steps in front of Guida. The broadcast listed Garcia’s total significant strike count at well over a hundred by the third, and I have no doubts regarding the accuracy of that statistic, as it felt as though Garcia could not miss at times. The fight went the distance, and I scored the fight 30-27 in favor of Garcia.
WINNER: Rafa Garcia by unanimous decision (30-27 all)
Garcia controlled this fight with his jab, landing it at will from the beginning of the fight until the final horn sounded. Guida was never entirely out of this fight, but he was always a step or two behind Garcia, and he was having difficulty finding a home for his own offense throughout the bout despite the very high output that you would expect from him. Garcia was emotional after his win, showcasing a great deal of respect to Guida, who teased a retirement just to make sure he could get some microphone time, wishing a happy birthday to his mother, among others, in what was certainly a veteran move. Garcia improved to 4-3 in the UFC with this win, with four wins throughout his last five fights.
PEDRO MUNHOZ (19-7, 2 NC, 136) VS CHRIS GUTIERREZ (19-4-2, 136) – BANTAMWEIGHT
The fighters traded leg kicks throughout the opening minute of the fight. A big left hand from Munhoz dropped Gutierrez hard, and Munhoz followed him to the ground as he attempted to finish the fight. Gutierrez seemed to recover quickly, and Munhoz began to work from his guard with roughly three minutes remaining in the round. Gutierrez eventually made it back to his feet but was unable to create a big moment for himself before time expired. 10-9 Munhoz.
Munhoz pressured forward to start the second round, as Gutierrez countered well from the backfoot. Munhoz was still throwing a sizeable number of leg kicks, although Gutierrez was doing his best to deter Munhoz from throwing them with well-timed checks. Both fighters were doing a good job defensively, resulting in very few clean lands on either side, especially whenever they swung for the head of their opponent. This was a very close round, but I gave the slight edge to Munhoz. 20-18 Munhoz.
A straight right hand from Munhoz found its target early in the final round. The fighters continued to trade leg kicks, at a fairly even rate. The fans were acting like this was one of the worst fights in MMA history, but this really was not a particularly dull fight. Both fighters were active, but it was just a very high-level contest, in which neither fighter was making many obvious mistakes defensively. This was another close round, but once again, I thought Munhoz edged it out. 30-27 Munhoz.
WINNER: Pedro Munhoz by unanimous decision (30-27 all)
The story if this fight ended up being the crowd, who completely turned on this fight to an extent I have not seen in years. I thought the action was entertaining, but those in attendance were reacting as though the rematch between Rose Namajunas and Carla Esparza was unfolding in front of them from the way in which they showered these fighters in boos. Despite the crowd’s displeasure, this was a very solid performance from Munhoz, who got the better of Gutierrez with his constant pressure, hurting him often enough that Gutierrez was hesitant to commit to his own attack. With only one win throughout his last six fights, this was a much-needed win for Pedro Munhoz, who successfully defended his top-ten spot in the bantamweight rankings.
TANNER BOSER (20-9-1, 203) VS ION CUTELABA (16-9-1, 1 NC, 206) – LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT
Cutelaba cracked Boser with a left hand to introduce him to the light heavyweight division. The next big shot that Cutelaba landed (a looping right hand) hurt Boser badly, and he immediately took Boser to the ground after rocking him. Cutelaba pressed Boser against the cage, and just unloaded with right hands as Boser attempted to return to his feet, forcing referee Keith Peterson to stop the fight.
WINNER: Ion Cutelaba by TKO at 2:05 of Round 1
This was a big fight for both of these men, with Cutelaba desperately in need of a win with just one victory throughout his previous seven bouts, and with Boser moving down to the light heavyweight division after nearly a decade of fighting at heavyweight. In the end, it was Cutelaba who picked up the much-needed victory, rocking Boser with a huge right hand before moving in for the kill, quickly finishing the fight. Boser’s speed and movement separated him from the pack at heavyweight, but those advantages may not translate to the 205lbs division, as shown by Cutelaba seemingly being the quicker fighter here.
AZAMAT MURZAKANOV (12-0, 205) VS DUSTIN JACOBY (18-6-1, 206) – LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT
Murzakanov landed the first significant shot of the fight, a looping lead right hand. A straight left hand from Jacoby partially found its target, before another one knocked Jacoby down momentarily. Murzakanov went on the attack as he attempted to finish the fight, but Jacoby was able to defend himself well, and he seemed to have recovered from Murzakanov’s big shot. Jacoby was fairly active offensively, but he just was not landing with the same power, and this was a clear round for Murzakanov. 10-9 Murzakanov.
Murzakanov began the second round with a heavy left hook. He changed levels as Murzakanov attempted to bring the fight to the ground, but Jacoby was able to defend the attempt, and the fighters began to wrestle against the cage. The fighters eventually separated after a prolonged stalemate against the cage, and Murzakanov continued to advance as the round progressed. In the final seconds of the right, Murzakanov dropped Jacoby with an overhand left, securing the round. 20-18 Murzakanov.
Jacoby connected with his biggest shot of the fight early in the third round, but Murzakanov took it well, and he started pressuring forward, just as he did in the previous two rounds. Jacoby was doing good work throughout this round, however, and Murzakanov seemed to be slowing down as the fight wore on. Jacoby defended Murzakanov’s attempts to bring the fight to the ground and eventually secured one of his own. He postured up and began throwing down left hands, but Murzakanov was able to defend himself well enough to make it to the end of the round, and the fight went the distance. 29-28 Murzakanov.
WINNER: Azamat Murzakanov by unanimous decision (29-28 all)
Murzakanov fought a very good fight for two rounds, overwhelming Jacoby on the feet with his pressure, as well as his advantage in terms of power. By the third round, however, Murzakanov was gassed, and Jacoby was able to mount a late comeback. Unfortunately, Jacoby was surely tired by this point in the fight as well and chose to grapple with Murzakanov late in the fight when it may have been more beneficial to stand with his hurt opponent. After the fight, Murzakanov claimed that he injured his left arm in the second round, which is why he did not throw that particular hand often in the third round, and he asked for a top-ten ranked opponent, citing his three-fight UFC win-streak as a reason for a higher ranked fighter in his next bout.
EDSON BARBOZA (22-11, 146) VS BILLY QUARANTILLO (17-4, 146) – FEATHERWEIGHT
Quarantillo immediately shot for a takedown, but the attempt was defended. The fighters started trading heavy strikes, as Quarantillo applied forward pressure. Quarantillo jumped on a single leg attempt, but the takedown was defended yet again before the fighters separated. Quarantillo continued to press forward, and he attempted to change levels yet again, this time walking right into a brutal knee up the middle from Barboza that knocked him unconscious.
WINNER: Edson Barboza by KO at 2:37 of Round 1
This was yet another violent knockout, from a ridiculously violent fighter. Quarantillo was doing a lot of good work throughout the short duration of the fight, constantly pressuring forward while threatening takedowns, which has always been the way to beat Barboza, but Barboza’s timing is impeccable, and after Quarantillo had attempted the same takedown earlier, Barboza was wise to the movement, allowing him to counter with the fight ending knee. It was an absolutely brutal finish, and one that Barboza was in need of after losing his last two fights. Barboza’s record is now 3-3 since moving down to the UFC’s featherweight division, and Barboza asked to fight an opponent ranked higher than him after his win, claiming that he is in the best shape of his entire life.
MAX HOLLOWAY (23-7, 146) VS ARNOLD ALLEN (19-1, 146) – FEATHERWEIGHT
The first significant strike of the fight was an accidental low blow to Holloway, who did not take long to recover. Allen connected with a big left hand as the action resumed, prompting no reaction from Holloway. Holloway partially connected with a body kick as Allen went high with a left hand. A short flurry from Holloway caught Allen off guard, and he caught Allen with a solid right hand as Allen stepped in. Holloway ended the round with a right high kick that partially landed. 10-9 Holloway.
Allen caught Holloway with a left and had to start the second round, and he followed it up with a short flurry of strikes as Holloway looked to create some distance. The left hands from Allen continued to give Holloway trouble, and he was doing a good job of keeping Holloway on the back foot, now allowing the former champion to pressure forward, where he has historically done his best work. Holloway never really got going throughout this second round, and I thought this was a good round for Allen, despite a late rally from Holloway. 19-19.
A combination of punches from Holloway found its target to begin the third round. Allen responded with another left hand, which continued to be his best weapon in the fight. Holloway was finding some success attacking the body of Allen, but Allen was wise not to drop his hands, preventing Holloway from landing head shots with regularity. A shot from Allen opened a cut near the left eye of Holloway. The fighters traded jabs, and the short blitzes from Holloway continued to prove effective. Still, they were few and far between, as Allen was doing an excellent job of keeping Holloway on the retreat. Holloway’s volume throughout this round was probably the difference maker, and I had him up on the scorecards going into the championship rounds. 29-28 Holloway.
Allen attempted to sneak a head kick from very close range, but Holloway was able to get his arms up in time to block the strike. The fighters traded body shots, with Holloway doubling up on his combination to get the better of the exchange. Allen’s pressure was still doing a good job of keeping Holloway from getting too comfortable, and he was throwing head kicks at a fairly high rate in this fourth round, although they were not landing with regularity. The fighters exchanged heavy straights before Holloway dug into the body with another kick. Arnold connected with a big left hand, which prompted Holloway to respond with a spinning head kick that missed its mark. This was a very close round, but I gave the slight edge to Holloway. 39-37 Holloway.
Allen’s corner told him he was in need of a finish going into the final round. Arnold took this advice to heart, and he started the fifth round very aggressively, clearly looking to force that finish. Holloway responded with a knee up the middle as well as a clean elbow, as Allen’s aggression was allowing him to counter strongly, but both men were eating big shots early in this final round. Allen opted to engage Holloway in the clinch, but Holloway is not an easy fighter to take down, and he was able to defend Allen’s attempt. Allen landed a pair of head kicks, before swarming Holloway with a short combination of punches. Holloway was still going after the body of Allen with kicks, which remained some of Holloways best offense, but Allen’s pressure was the story of the round, and he seemed to be landing the better strikes in this final round. Allen attempted to end the round with a takedown, but Holloway defended the attempt, and the fighters traded strikes wildly to end the fight. 48-47 Holloway.
WINNER: Max Holloway by unanimous decision (49-46, 49-46, 48-47)
This was a big test for Arnold Allen, and while he ultimately did not get his arm raised, he proved himself as one of the featherweight divisions elite, just as Yair Rodriguez did in his loss to Max Holloway in 2021. Allen’s pressure gave Holloway problems throughout the fight, especially in the final round, but Holloway adjusted well to every attack with which Allen was finding success and was ultimately able to outland Allen by a significant margin to win the fight. It was a strong showcase for both men, especially Holloway, who was coming into this fight fresh off his rather one-sided loss to Alexander Volkanovski, in need of a performance that would remind people that he is still one of the best fighters in the world today. For the time being, Holloway will remain removed from the featherweight title picture, but if Yair Rodriguez manages to defeat Volkanovski for the UFC Featherweight Championship, then Holloway will likely find himself first in line for one more shot at regaining his title.
