Before Arnold Allen steps into the octagon to face Calvin Kattar in the main event of UFC Fight Night 213 in Las Vegas, you can watch his first appearance of the calendar year against Dan Hooker.
On his home soil at the O2 in London, Allen looked to make it nine-straight victories as he welcomed Hooker back to the featherweight division. It didn’t take long for Allen to make good on his plans.
Allen spent the first few moments of the fight analyzing the movement of Hooker as he circled on the outside, evading Hooker’s initial offerings. The outside leg kick was the first weapon of choice for Allen.
Hooker’s forward pressure was intense, but out of nowhere, Allen began unleashing a barrage of punches, forcing Hooker to retreat. Hooker caught Allen with a hard counter, but it did not stop the onslaught. Although the attack caused Hooker to cover up against the cage, he was unable to end the fight at the moment, and eventually, Allen paused his attack to gather himself.
They returned to the center of the cage and continued to trade punches at a slower clip. Allen continued to circle as Hooker pressed forward, until he connected with a two-punch combination that rocked his opponent. This time, the swarm from Allen would finish the fight midway through the round, and the celebration was on.
After the victory, Allen called for a matchup against Kattar, and his wish was granted as that headlines this Saturday’s event in Las Vegas.
You can watch the full fight ahead of UFC Fight Night 213 in the video above via the UFC’s official YouTube channel.
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 213.
