Arnold ‘Almighty’ Allen has heaped praise on fellow British stars Leon Edwards and Tom Aspinall for serving as role models to aspiring mixed martial artists.
Allen is one of a cohort of athletes from the UK that are making waves across multiple of the major global organisations, presently. The likes of Paddy Pimblett, Jack Shore, Paul Craig and Molly McCann are just some more of the people flying the flag for the United Kingdom in the UFC.
‘Almighty’ is cut from a similar cloth to both Edwards and Aspinall. None of the men are huge fans of trash talk, they’re happy to fight whoever is put in front of them and all have that same goal of becoming world champion- a dream already achieved by both Edwards and Aspinall. Speaking to Ariel Helwani on The MMA Hour, ‘Almighty’ expressed why he has a lot of admiration for the two UK champs.
“There’s no B.S with them. They are who they are, they go out and perform, there’s not a gimmick, they’re not trying to sell something and be something they’re not, they are just themselves, which is good people and good role models. Leon, when I first went to Renegade to train, he was helping me out huge, he won the title and he came back and was teaching the class the same guy, he didn't change at all.”
Starting off 2024 with a bang, Allen will be back in the cage at the end of the month when he faces Mosvar Evloev on January 20th at UFC 297. Evloev is a formidable opponent but the Brit isn't phased, having just faced one of the best in the division in Max Holloway last time out. He is relishing the opportunity to get back in there against another top contender.
“I would be hiding in a hole if I wasn't cool with it. I just fought Max Holloway. He's a scary dude, some of the sh*t, sorry, some of the things he’s done to other opponents when you watch his highlights and yeah, you don't want to be that guy when he is screaming in your face saying ‘I am the best boxer!’ That's scary. I am down to fight anyone, I believe in my skills, my tools and not in a way for a paycheck. I believe I can beat anyone, I believe in myself.”
After a 10 fight unbeaten run in the UFC, Holloway handed Allen his first loss in the promotion with a unanimous decision win over him last year. Allen had no excuses for his performance on the night and isn’t dwelling on the loss.
“I think the preparation went as well as it could have. The regrets are things that are out of my control. All the things I could do, I did the best I could. My teammates were great, the camp was fantastic. All the things I could control I gave 100%, I didn’t let myself down in that way, my team were great, it just is what it is. Certain things played out the way they played out.”
Allen’s road to Holloway has been a rough one. His mentality of fighting whoever the UFC put in front of him has led to taking bouts against Calvin Kattar, Dan Hooker and Sodiq Yusuff in his quest for Featherweight gold. Many may have been deterred or left frustrated at a title shot not coming sooner but the solid mindset of the 29-year-old has kept him on the straight and narrow.
“I am a firm believer that if you want to be the best in the world you have to beat the best in the world. Obviously Max is the number 2 lightweight however you want to look at rankings or whatever. If you can’t beat Max, you can’t be champion, in my mind. That is the litmus test and for me, obviously I failed the test and I get the chance to go again and try and rebuild and get back there.”
