UFC Kansas City went down last Saturday night (April 15, 2023) inside T-Mobile Center in Kansas City, MO., which left plenty of fighters feeling the post-fight blues. Among them was Billy Quarantillo, who was knocked out by Edson Barboza in the very first round thanks to a perfectly-timed knee (see it here).
And Tanner Boser, who was flattened by Ion Cutelaba in the opening frame (highlights). Also, Matheus Nicolau, who suffered an opening round knockout loss at the hands of Brandon Royval (relive it here). But which fighter is suffering from the worst post-fight hangover, now a few days removed from the show?
Arnold Allen.
Coming into his second headlining UFC event, Allen was scorching hot with 12 straight wins, including coming out on top in his first 10 fights inside the world-famous Octagon. But that big-name victory had evaded him. Sure, he scored wins over the likes of Calvin Kattar and Dan Hooker, but defeating a whale like Max Holloway is the one that would have put him over.
But, despite his best efforts, Allen ran into a motivated and seemingly rejuvenated former champion who showed that despite coming up short against the current champion, Alexander Volkanovski, in his previous fight, he is showing no signs of slowing down.
Allen did have some shining moments, however, but it wasn’t enough to overcome the experience, the toughness and the durability of “Blessed,” who firmly reasserted himself once again in the championship picture. As for Allen, he is taking the loss with his head held high. As well he should be because unlike most fighters who lose a 25-minute fight to Holloway, he didn’t come out looking worse for the wear.
“An honour to share the cage with a legend in [Max Holloway], I just wasn’t good enough tonight. Thanks for the support,” he wrote on Instagram, which was accompanied with a picture of him and Holloway.
Despite the setback, Allen is still firmly in the mix as a Top 5 contender, so the 29-year old still has a lot of time to make his championship move, and another win or two puts him right into the title picture.
As far as what could be next for “Almighty,” perhaps a fight against former title contender, Brian Ortega, is in order. “T-City” hasn’t competed since losing to Yair Rodriguez as a result of an unfortunate shoulder injury. That loss was his second straight, so Ortega — who also has a loss to Holloway — is in need of a win.
At the moment, Ortega is sitting in the No. 3 spot, and Allen is right behind him at No. 4, so it’s a good matchup for both men. “T-City” has been sitting on the sidelines for nine months, so he should be gearing up for a return anytime now.
For complete UFC Kansas City: “Holloway vs. Allen” results and play-by-play, click HERE.