Tag: arnold allen

Watch: O2 Arena Ripped Apart By Storm Weeks Before UFC London

It appears the UFC’s long-awaited return to London, England may have hit another roadblock in the form of Britain’s worst storm in decades. On March 19, MMA’s premier promotion is set to host a card in England’s capital for the first time since 2019. After an attempt to cross the Atlantic proved unsuccessful last September,…

Continue Reading Watch: O2 Arena Ripped Apart By Storm Weeks Before UFC London at MMA News.

It appears the UFC’s long-awaited return to London, England may have hit another roadblock in the form of Britain’s worst storm in decades.

On March 19, MMA’s premier promotion is set to host a card in England’s capital for the first time since 2019. After an attempt to cross the Atlantic proved unsuccessful last September, the UK audience has finally had an event officially confirmed, one that sold out in minutes.

But an extreme weather event may be about to throw a spanner in the works. As Storm Eunice causes havoc across the British Isles and delivers record-breaking gusts, damage is inevitable. What most probably hadn’t banked on, though, was the roof of the O2 Arena being torn off…

While it’s uncertain how serious the damage is and what a potential repair timeline will look like, the storm continues to rage on. With that in mind, it’s unlikely the venue will remain in its current state, with further destruction expected.

It’s impossible to tell at this stage whether UFC London will be affected. However, with WBC Cruiserweight World Champion Lawrence Okolie set to make his second defense against challenger Michel Cieslak next weekend at the O2, we can expect the status of the March 19 UFC Fight Night to become clearer towards the end of the month.

The O2 Is Set To Host A Stacked British Showcase

Having been kept to US-based events and Abu Dhabi-held cards since the COVID-19 pandemic caused havoc in 2020, the UFC has understandably pulled out all the stops ahead of its return to overseas events.

As well as the presence of top UK names and prospects like Tom Aspinall, Arnold Allen, Paddy Pimblett, Paul Craig, and Molly McCann, well-known international fighters like Dan Hooker, Ilia Topuria, Nikita Krylov, Gunnar Nelson, and Alexander Volkov are also set to enter the cage inside London’s O2 Arena.

With a host of exciting matchups set, fans will certainly be hoping any more damage to the host venue as a result of Storm Eunice is limited.

Listed below are the fights currently expected to go down on March 19 in London, England:

Alexander Volkov vs. Tom Aspinall (heavyweight main event)

Dan Hooker vs. Arnold Allen (featherweight)

Paul Craig vs. Nikita Krylov (light heavyweight)

Shamil Abdurakhimov vs. Sergei Pavlovich (heavyweight)

Jack Shore vs. Timur Valiev (bantamweight)

Paddy Pimblett vs. Kazula Vargas (lightweight)

Gunnar Nelson vs. Claudio Silva (welterweight)

Nathanial Wood vs. Liudvik Sholinian (bantamweight)

Ilia Topuria vs. Jai Herbert (lightweight)

Makwan Amirkhani vs. Mike Grundy (featherweight)

Molly McCann vs. Luana Carolina (women’s flyweight)

Cody Durden vs. Muhammad Mokaev (flyweight)

Cory McKenna vs. Elise Reed (women’s strawweight)

Which UFC London fight are you most looking forward to on March 19?

Continue Reading Watch: O2 Arena Ripped Apart By Storm Weeks Before UFC London at MMA News.

Arnold Allen Thinks He Should Be Tested By USADA More Often

Arnold Allen admits that he believes USADA should come knocking more often. The English featherweight Arnold Allen is on a roll lately. He has won 10 fights in a row, including all eight he has had in the UFC. He is quickly rising up the featherweight rankings and proving that he has what it takes…

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Arnold Allen admits that he believes USADA should come knocking more often.

The English featherweight Arnold Allen is on a roll lately. He has won 10 fights in a row, including all eight he has had in the UFC. He is quickly rising up the featherweight rankings and proving that he has what it takes to fight some of the best at 145 pounds.

Allen is coming off a unanimous decision victory over Sodiq Yusuff last April. Since then, he has been pretty quiet, until recently.

Allen booked a fight against Dan Hooker for the upcoming London card in March. Allen spoke recently to The MMA Hour with Ariel Helwani about the U.S Anti-Doping Agency testing and why he feels the testing should be happening more often.

“I feel like I don’t get tested that much to be honest,” Allen said. “There was a lot of time before I hadn’t been tested once in England and then suddenly they start testing and then during COVID there wasn’t much testing. It’s been a bit quiet.”

Allen’s father was a strongman who he admitted did take steroids during his lifting days. Having discussed this brought about the issue of his own drug testing in the UFC.

Since the insertion of the USADA testing back in 2015, several fighters have been caught or suspended for failing to uphold the drug policy. Allen has not had any trouble himself but feels things could be run a little tighter in that department.

“I don’t even remember maybe before Christmas (when asked about the last time he was tested), yeah I don’t know. I’m also traveling every other minute with these drives three times a week so I don’t know how it would work. I put it in the thing, in the app, telling them where I’m at, maybe they’ll come get me at the truck stop, in the showers.”

According to the USADA website, Allen was tested once so far in 2022, unlike Israel Adesanya and Michael Chandler who have each been tested six times this year.

Drug testing in the sport is always a hot-button issue. Recently, Sean Strickland suggested a lifetime ban for those who break the drug policy. Allen, although among the least tested, is open to more thorough protocols.

Do you think the USADA should be testing fighters more often?

Continue Reading Arnold Allen Thinks He Should Be Tested By USADA More Often at MMA News.

Arnold Allen Explains Why He Accepted Fight Against Unranked Hooker

Arnold Allen believes his upcoming fight against Dan Hooker at UFC London is a key point in his career. Allen is currently the seventh-ranked featherweight and is 17-1 as a pro, including being 8-0 in the UFC. However, he still doesn’t have the biggest name in the division, so he knows if he can beat […]

Continue Reading Arnold Allen Explains Why He Accepted Fight Against Unranked Hooker at MMA News.

Arnold Allen believes his upcoming fight against Dan Hooker at UFC London is a key point in his career.

Allen is currently the seventh-ranked featherweight and is 17-1 as a pro, including being 8-0 in the UFC. However, he still doesn’t have the biggest name in the division, so he knows if he can beat a fan-favorite in Hooker, it would be big.

“I think it will definitely put me in the top-five talks. That’s why I was all for the fight because it definitely puts me up there,” Allen said to The Sun. “If you loom at the guys he’s fought recently at lightweight, the weight above, he’s coming down and I think he was ranked eighth at lightweight. So he’s coming down to fight and a [win] will for sure propel me to those top boys. It’s kind of a funny division, featherweight, at the minute. All those top guys, the top-five or top-six, they’re all kind of tied up with each other anyway.”

As Allen says, the division is a weird one with Alex Volkanovski and Max Holloway likely to have their trilogy if Volkanovski gets past Korean Zombie. After that, there is no clear next contender as Calvin Kattar and Josh Emmett are both a fight away, but if the Brit can win this one impressively, he could jump the line.

Arnold Allen, Dan Hooker
Arnold Allen, Dan Hooker (Image Credits: Jeff Bottari/Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC)

However, even with a potential title eliminator bout being next, Arnold Allen says he isn’t experiencing any added stress.

“I’m not feeling the pressure. It’s what I train for; this is what I’ve been doing [for],” Allen said.

“The pressure, if there is pressure, bring it on. It’s what I’m here for.”

UFC London goes down on March 19 and sees Alexander Volkov vs. Tom Aspinall as the main event.

Who do you think will win, Arnold Allen or Dan Hooker?

Continue Reading Arnold Allen Explains Why He Accepted Fight Against Unranked Hooker at MMA News.

Arnold Allen Fight Coincides With Dan Hooker’s Reason For FW Move

UFC fan favorite Dan Hooker is ready to make a splash when he returns to featherweight, starting with an impressive performance against England’s Arnold Allen. Despite his recent run of form consisting of losses to some of the best lightweights in the world, Dustin Poirier, Michael Chandler, and Islam Makhachev, Hooker feels that to remain […]

Continue Reading Arnold Allen Fight Coincides With Dan Hooker’s Reason For FW Move at MMA News.

UFC fan favorite Dan Hooker is ready to make a splash when he returns to featherweight, starting with an impressive performance against England’s Arnold Allen.

Despite his recent run of form consisting of losses to some of the best lightweights in the world, Dustin Poirier, Michael Chandler, and Islam Makhachev, Hooker feels that to remain in contention for UFC gold, he has to make a change.

Believing he doesn’t have a place among the 155-pound elite until the landscape of the division changes, “The Hangman” made the decision to move back to 145 pounds.

While he initially targeted dream fights with “The Korean Zombie” Chan Sung Jung and Brian Ortega, Hooker has had to settle for a contender outside the top five. Nevertheless, a victory over Allen will certainly insert the New Zealander right into the title picture at featherweight.

The pair are set to throw down on March 19, a date that will signal the promotion’s return to London, England. While “Almighty” Allen targets a triumph in front of his home crowd, Hooker will be looking to spoil the party for the Ipswich native.

Hooker Hopes To Steal Allen’s Momentum

Despite going 1-3 in his last four Octagon outings, Hooker isn’t returning to featherweight with the aim of taking easier matchups and rising the ranks slowly. He wants to get straight into the mix at 145 pounds and book dates with the top names in the division.

With Allen, that is exactly what he’s getting. The Englishman is unbeaten in the UFC. Across his unblemished 8-0 promotional record, the 28-year-old has established himself as one of the fastest-rising contenders thanks to victories over Makwan Amirkhani, Nik Lentz, and Sodiq Yusuff.

Discussing how the matchup came together in an interview with The AllStar, Hooker explained why Allen is the kind of opponent he usually accepts, while others tend to turn down.

“He is really good, but not like, a big name. I can see why I got that fight because I generally get the fights that other people don’t wanna take,” said Hooker. “That’s generally how I wind up with opponents… I feel like this is the situation with Arnold Allen, where he’s a super-talented fighter, very technical, well-rounded, and not the biggest name. Those are the difficult fights.”

While others have perhaps shied away from the challenge of defeating Allen, Hooker is excited by the prospect of becoming the first blemish on the #7-ranked contender’s résumé.

“For sure, it excites me to get out there and get the opportunity to stop that run, stop a run like that, undefeated in the UFC, 8-0. That’s a huge accomplishment in itself, to reach that sort of achievement, so the opportunity to get out there and stop it, and to take all of that momentum that he’s carrying off those eight wins and take it for myself, that’s what excites me about this fight.”

While he isn’t taking the task of handing Allen his first loss in MMA’s premier promotion lightly, Hooker is anticipating a place right in the mix among the featherweight elite if he is successful on March 19.

“Without a doubt, he’s #7 and he’s got all that hype,” added Hooker. “I’m not looking past Arnold or anything like that, but yeah, that (victory over Allen) gets you one of those big-name guys in the division, and that’s really like, my main motivation for going down to featherweight and for making the cut, to put myself straight back in the mix.”

Having previously gone 3-3 during his initial stint at featherweight in the UFC, Hooker will be after more consistency when he makes his return to the lighter weight class.

Who do you think will have their hand raised at UFC London, Dan Hooker or Arnold Allen?

Continue Reading Arnold Allen Fight Coincides With Dan Hooker’s Reason For FW Move at MMA News.

Dan Hooker vs. Arnold Allen Set For UFC London On March 19

Dan Hooker will make his return to featherweight when he takes on 145-pound contender Arnold Allen at UFC London on March 19.

The event, expected to take place at the O2 Arena, will mark the UFC’s first trip to England’s capital since before the CO…

Arnold Allen, Dan Hooker

Dan Hooker will make his return to featherweight when he takes on 145-pound contender Arnold Allen at UFC London on March 19.

The event, expected to take place at the O2 Arena, will mark the UFC’s first trip to England’s capital since before the COVID-19 pandemic. The promotion confirmed the addition of Hooker vs. Allen to the card on Monday.

While the March 19 card will represent the UFC’s return to across the Atlantic, it will mark an even bigger homecoming for Hooker (22-11), who will be returning to featherweight for the first time since 2016.

After a 3-3 start in the UFC at 145 pounds, “The Hangman” made the move to lightweight. There, he initially went 7-1 and defeated the likes of Gilbert Burns, Jim Miller, Al Iaquinta, and Paul Felder. But since a main event victory over “The Irish Dragon,” Hooker has seen his form plummet.

In his last four outings, the New Zealander has gone 1-3, falling to defeats against Dustin Poirier, Michael Chandler, and Islam Makhachev. Despite those names representing three of the toughest tests in the weight class, Hooker acknowledged that returning to contention will be difficult in the current lightweight landscape.

After a successful trial weight cut to 145 pounds late last year, Hooker made it clear he was pursuing a return to featherweight. Now, with his desired matchups against “The Korean Zombie” Chan Sung Jung and Brian Ortega not coming to fruition, “The Hangman” will be welcomed back to the division by a surging Englishman.

At UFC London, Hooker will be looking to score one for the internationals when he faces Ipswich native “Almighty” Allen (17-1). The 28-year-old is widely considered the hottest prospect at 145 pounds and has found himself at #7 in the rankings after a perfect 8-0 start in the UFC.

Allen’s record on MMA’s biggest stage includes triumphs over Makwan Amirkhani, Gilbert Melendez, and Nik Lentz. Most recently, he established himself as the top rising contender in the division by getting past Sodiq Yusuff in April 2021.

Allen and Hooker will join a stacked UFC Fight Night card with a host of exciting names. The event will be headlined by an intriguing heavyweight contest between perennial contender Alexander Volkov and England’s best hope for a UFC heavyweight champion, Tom Aspinall.

Listed below are the fights currently expected to go down on March 19 in London, England:

Alexander Volkov vs. Tom Aspinall (heavyweight main event)

Dan Hooker vs. Arnold Allen (featherweight)

Shamil Abdurakhimov vs. Sergei Pavlovich (heavyweight)

Jack Shore vs. Timur Valiev (bantamweight)

Paddy Pimblett vs. Kazula Vargas (lightweight)

Nathanial Wood vs. Liudvik Sholinian (bantamweight)

Makwan Amirkhani vs. Mike Grundy (featherweight)

Molly McCann vs. Luana Carolina (women’s flyweight)

Cody Durden vs. Muhammad Mokaev (flyweight)

Jake Hadley vs. Allan Nascimento (flyweight)

Cory McKenna vs. Elise Reed (women’s strawweight)

Who do you think will have their hand raised at UFC London, Dan Hooker or Arnold Allen?

Continue Reading Dan Hooker vs. Arnold Allen Set For UFC London On March 19 at MMA News.

Dan Hooker Drops To 145lbs, Takes On Arnold Allen At UFC London

Dan HookerIt looks like UFC London has got its co-main event. UFC officials have confirmed that long-time lightweight contender, Dan Hooker, is dropping down to featherweight and will take on British standout, Arnold Allen, who is currently ranked #7 at 145lbs. Hooker spent his first six UFC at featherweight. During this period (2014-2016) ‘Hangman’ went 3-3 […]

Dan Hooker

It looks like UFC London has got its co-main event.

UFC officials have confirmed that long-time lightweight contender, Dan Hooker, is dropping down to featherweight and will take on British standout, Arnold Allen, who is currently ranked #7 at 145lbs.

Hooker spent his first six UFC at featherweight. During this period (2014-2016) ‘Hangman’ went 3-3 before moving up in weight. The New Zealander has gone 8-4 since he made the switch to lightweight and is currently on a run of bad form losing three of his last four fights. Hooker’s last two losses have been particularly devastating as they have come via first-round stoppage to Islam Makhachev and Michael Chandler.

Allen appears to be the Darkhorse at featherweight, but he definitely shouldn’t be. ‘Almighty’ has won eight straight fights since joining the UFC and has beaten the likes of Gilbert Melendez and Sodiq Yusuff. It’ll be great to see him get a lofty showcase spot against a popular opponent at UFC London on March 19.

UFC London Card

Alexander Volkov vs. Tom Aspinall
Arnold Allen vs. Dan Hooker
Jake Hadley vs. Allan Nascimento
Luana Carolina vs. Molly McCann
Cody Durden vs. Muhammad Mokaev
Makwan Amirkhani vs. Mike Grundy
Jack Shore vs. Timur Valiev
Shamil Abdurakhimov vs. Sergei Pavlovich
Paddy Pimblett vs. Kazula Vargas

Who’ll win on March 19? Dan Hooker or Arnold Allen?