Arnold Allen’s path to victory Saturday was a bit unexpected but he got the job done in statement making fashion.
In case there were questions, Allen (20-3 MMA, 11-2 UFC) proved he could stand with one of the division’s best strikers, as he defeated Giga Chikadze (15-4 MMA, 8-2 UFC) by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-29, 29-28). The featherweight bout opened up the UFC 304 main card at Co-op Live in Manchester, England.
Allen seemed to improve as the fight went on. After a close round that the judges scored for Chikadze, Allen pressed the action for the remaining 10 minutes. It was death by a thousand papercuts for Chikadze, who was slowly bloodied and bruises by Allen’s aggressive attack.