UFC Fight Night Best Bets: Can Max Holloway Bounce Back Against Arnold Allen?

UFC Fight Night Best Bets: Can Max Holloway Bounce Back Against Arnold Allen?

The featherweight division gets a huge matchup to likely decide the next title challenger (after Volkanovski/Rodriguez is settled) when Max Holloway and Arnold Allen face each other in a highly anticipated bout. Holloway will be cheering for Yair Rodriguez because he probably isn't getting a fourth shot against Volkanovski. If Allen wins, he will undoubtedly get the next shot at the belt, no matter what.

While Allen may have an impressive 19-1 record and a 10-0 UFC record, Holloway's experience and track record make him the favorite for this fight. Holloway is -190 to win the fight on most books, which has some people scratching their heads, but when you look at it further, the line makes sense.

Max Holloway vs. Arnold Allen Start Time and Where to Watch

• Date: Saturday, April 15, 2023
• Game Time: 8:30 pm ET
• Where to Watch: ESPN, ESPN+

Max Holloway vs. Arnold Allen Prediction

Holloway may be 2-3 in his last five fights, but those three losses were all against the current champion Alexander Volkanovski, who seems to have his number. Despite this, outside of fights with Volkanovski, Holloway has been perfect at featherweight since his loss to Conor McGregor in 2013, with a record of 16-0 against anyone who is not named Alexander Volkanovski. His other loss to Dustin Poirier was at lightweight, an experience Holloway has not attempted again, for good reason.

Holloway's resume speaks for itself. He is the former 145-pound champion and holds wins over some of the biggest names in the sport, including Charles Oliveira, Jose Aldo, Brian Ortega, Frankie Edgar, Calvin Kattar, and Yair Rodriguez. He is also one of the busiest strikers the UFC has ever seen, averaging an incredible 7.24 significant strikes per minute. His pace and stamina remain unparalleled, even in the fifth round.

On the other hand, Arnold Allen enters this fight with a 19-1 record and is a perfect 10-0 in the UFC. Allen has put together some impressive stoppage wins over the likes of Dan Hooker and Calvin Kattar over his last two fights. However, despite this success, he was overlooked by the UFC in favor of Josh Emmett for a recent interim title fight. A win against Holloway should finally give him the chance to compete for the belt.

While Allen may have an excellent striking game, it's unlikely that he will be able to match Holloway's experience, volume, and well-rounded skillset. The Hawaiian fighter is uniquely dangerous, with an excellent striking game, a sneaky underused submission game, and a ruthless killer instinct, even though he hasn't found a knockout in a while.

The only x-factor in the fight could be the wear and tear that Holloway has suffered over the years, with over a decade in the promotion and 26 fights under his belt. Holloway is only 31, two years older than Allen, but he has been in many wars and taken a lot of damage to the best fighters in the division. He is as tough as they come, as he has never been knocked out in his professional career, but he has come close.

The smart pick for the fight is Holloway, likely by decision in an entertaining match. While Allen may be a strong contender, he is unlikely to match Holloway's volume in every round. The +155 line on a 10-0 UFC underdog looks tempting, but there's a reason the line is where it is. Holloway is utterly dominant against anyone but the champ, and he will show why tonight. I'm taking the double chance on FanDuel for Holloway to win by KO or points to knock some of the juice off and bring this line down slightly.

Max Holloway vs. Arnold Allen Pick

Pick: Max Holloway by Knockout or Decision @ (-170) Bet $100 to collect $158 FanDuel has the best odds; click here to bet

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