Arnold Allen is rising in the UFC featherweight rankings and he’s eyeing Calvin Kattar next.
Allen turned in a stellar performance against Dan Hooker in the co-main event of UFC London on March 19. Allen quickly battered Hooker and was able to snag the first-round TKO. This earned Allen his third “Performance of the Night” bonus.
During his post-fight interview, Arnold Allen called for a showdown with Kattar. Speaking to reporters during his post-fight media scrum, Allen explained why the matchup intrigues him (via MMAJunkie.com).
“I want to be in the top five and I think he’s top five. That’s a fight that would put me there. We got offered that fight for a main event spot last year or earlier in the year, but I was out with injury. I think it works really good. He’s less tall than (Hooker), so that works out. He’s predominantly a boxer, I’m predominantly a boxer, so it’s a fan-friendly fight. I think I’m the better boxer.”
Calvin Kattar is the number five-ranked UFC featherweight. Allen isn’t too far behind him at the seventh spot.
In his most recent outing back in January, Kattar collided with Giga Chikadze. The bout went the distance and it was “The Boston Finisher” who emerged victorious via unanimous decision. It was the second straight bout that ended in a “Fight of the Night” bonus for Kattar.
Allen is riding an 11-fight winning streak. He hasn’t been defeated since June 2014. Allen lost a bout with Marcin Wrzosek via unanimous decision. It remains the only defeat in his pro MMA career.