Max Holloway, a former UFC featherweight champion, demonstrated that he still stands head and shoulders above the rest of the field.
Holloway (24-7 MMA, 20-7 UFC) put on a great performance against Arnold Allen in the main event of UFC on ESPN 44. ESPN broadcast the match, which took place on Saturday at Kansas City, Missouri’s T-Mobile Centre.
However, after five rounds and with scores of 49-46, 49-46, and 48-47, Holloway was proclaimed the winner by unanimous decision against Allen (19-2 MMA, 10-1 UFC).
As Holloway took a stance outside, Allen appeared to kick off the fight with a series of leg kicks. The play was briefly stopped when one of the kicks went wrong. When the battle started up again, Holloway threw a few quick punches while the fans screamed his name.
Allen cracked his left hand hard, but Holloway maintained his composure and didn’t appear to be worried. There were a couple more heated exchanges after that, but Holloway seemed more at ease as he circled and made accurate shots.
Allen came out aggressively and used his left hand as his preferred weapon early in the second round. He landed the punch to finish a few challenging combinations. Although Allen established the tone for the frame with his power in the initial exchanges, Holloway answered strongly in the second part of the round.
In the third, Holloway continued to use circling while keeping his balance. Holloway increased the number of kicks in his arsenal, particularly a few flush kicks to the body, and frequently changed stances to throw Allen off guard.
In the fourth round, Holloway started to show off his pro fighting background. In the first part of the set, Allen’s offence slowed down, but Holloway took advantage with sharp combinations and smooth counters. However, in the closing seconds of the round, Allen did manage to land a few significant blows.
After being instructed by Allen’s corner to try for a finish, he aggressively started looking for one. After making a few well-placed shots, Holloway refocused and resumed directing the action’s tempo. Allen briefly attempted to clinch, but instead chose to return to the striking game, landing more effective punches and a head kick. The fight stalled during a clinch, so the fighters split off and depleted the tank. Just before the horn, Holloway clipped Allen and knocked him to the ground, but the judges would give the fight to Holloway
According to a statistic displayed during the broadcast, Holloway also accomplished a singular feat during the contest by becoming the first fighter in UFC history to land more than 3,000 significant strikes.
UFC Kansas City: Holloway vs Allen Results
- Max Holloway def. Arnold Allen via unanimous decision (49-46, 49-46, 48-47)
- Edson Barboza def. Billy Quarantillo via knockout (knee) – Round 1, 2:37
- Azamat Murzakanov def. Dustin Jacoby via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
- Ion Cutelaba def. Tanner Boser via TKO (punches) – Round 1, 2:05
- Pedro Munhoz def. Chris Gutierrez via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
- Rafa Garcia def. Clay Guida via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
- Bill Algeo def. TJ Brown via submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 2, 1:40
- Brandon Royval def. Matheus Nicolau via knockout (punches) – Round 1, 2:09
- Zak Cummings def. Ed Herman via TKO (punches) – Round 3, 4:13
- Gillian Robertson def. Piera Rodriguez via submission (armbar) – Round 2, 4:21
- Daniel Zellhuber def. Lando Vannata via unanimous decision (29-27, 29-28, 30-27)
- Denise Gomes def. Bruna Brasil via TKO (punches) – Round 2, 2:42
- Gaston Bolanos def. Aaron Phillips via unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27, 30-27)
- Joselyne Edwards def. Lucie Pudilova via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
SHARE
