This Saturday, the T-Mobile Center in Kansas City is set to host a highly-anticipated UFC Featherweight showdown between former champ Max Holloway and rising British star Arnold Allen. The event marks the UFC’s second visit to Kansas City, almost six years after UFC on Fox: Johnson vs Reis in April 2017.
Fourteen fights pad out an exceptionally long Fight Night card, but the main attraction is Holloway and Allen’s Featherweight title decider. While many fans will bemoan Holloway earning a quadrilogy shot against Alexander Volkanovski – understandably after an 0-3 record to date – Allen’s chances of ending the veteran’s title charge cannot be overlooked.
Pintsized’s pick of the UFC Prelims sees the all-action Brandon Royval clash with Matheus Nicolau‘s ultra-conservative style. If there ever was a Flyweight designed to bring out the dawg in an opponent – it would be the Coloradan. Of interest, too, is the return of Lucie Pudilova against Joselyne Edwards. The Czech Bantamweight peppered Wu Yanan on the mat before ending the show with a series of brutal elbows to the head.
Max Holloway vs Arnold Allen
You would be forgiven for forgetting Max Holloway dropped a decision loss to Alexander Volkanovski in his last outing. Despite the championship nature of their trilogy, it has a black hole quality that has left many fans wrongly believing that Holloway’s most recent fight involved Yair Rodriguez. Styles make fights, however. Volkanovski expertly stripped Holloway of his buttery volume boxing game through leg kicks and measured, sniping combinations.
Don’t be fooled into thinking there are no more miles left in the Hawaiian’s gas tank. Holloway is a nightmare match-up for most at Featherweight. The 31-year-old’s chin continues to look as unbreakable as ever, combined with his reactive counter-punching in the pocket and the recent addition of elbows. Even though Holloway failed all three takedown attempts on Volk, a wrestling threat will only benefit the veteran’s game – evidenced by the distress it caused Rodriguez during their bout.
Arnold Allen seems like a stellar dude inside and outside of the octagon. The Suffolk fighter is an athletic beast. Not that it should raise many eyebrows when you see the genetics passed down from his father. Almighty is a crockpot of various exceptional weapons held loosely together by a thread. Recent victories on the feet have stemmed from reckless aggression such as the suffocating volume against Dan Hooker. It would be unwise to overlook Allen’s grappling chops as well – an outlet that saw him grind out a decision over the highly-rated prospect Sodiq Yusuff.
We are yet to see how Allen adapts over the course of five rounds. The 29-year-old finds himself on a 10-fight win streak in the UFC but he has yet to face his first top dog. We have seen Holloway weather an early storm to come on strong later down the line. Unfortunately, we have no such track record of Allen coping with the natural ebb and flow of the championship rounds.
Holloway vs Allen Prediction: Holloway Decision
Edson Barboza vs Billy Quarantillo
The co-main event at UFC Kansas City features a featherweight matchup between Edson Barboza and Billy Quarantillo. Despite a long career of wars wearing on his 37-year-old body, Barboza remains one of the most lethal fast-twitch strikers in the organisation. Quarantillo is a durable cookie that breaks opponents down, but even Billy Q will struggle to eat many of the Brazilian’s kicks to the legs or chops.
Of course, the American’s pressure on the feet could always exploit Barboza’s career weakness of backing himself onto the cage. Dan Hooker is the only person to have failed using the gameplan, with Quarantillo’s defensive deficiencies potentially making him the second. Considering Barboza still owns effective TDD, a pure striking affair favours the old dog.
Barboza vs Quarantillo Prediction: Barboza Decision
Dustin Jacoby vs Azamat Murzakanov
This is certainly one of the match-ups of all time. Dustin Jacoby’s long frame and conservative approach on the feet make him a nuisance banana skin for most Light Heavyweights. Meanwhile, Azamat Murzakanov has so far subscribed to ducking overhands and hail marys during his UFC tenure.
Thankfully, the Russian’s grappling threat could add a little intrigue to the battle. A former kickboxer, Jacoby is at a disadvantage on the mat despite his underrated defensive grappling. Murzakanov’s background in sambo could tip the fight – though his struggles finding takedowns against Devin Clark and Tafon Nchukwi are a red flag.
Jacoby vs Murzakanov Prediction: Jacoby TKO Round 2
Ion Cutelaba vs Tanner Boser
It’s never a dull moment when Ion Cutelaba is on the scene. The angry Moldovan is staring down the barrel of a four-fight slide but his energetic first-round flurries are always guaranteed box office.
Meanwhile, Tanner Boser returns after a year out – shifting his belly flab to make the LHW limit. The Canadian was a feather-fisted yet technical boxer with impressive hand speed at Heavyweight. If Boser can avoid an early submission loss, he could box the bleedin’ ears off of Cutelaba.
Cutelaba vs Boser Prediction: Boser TKO Round 3
Pedro Munhoz vs Chris Gutierrez
Pedro Munhoz, the 36-year-old veteran suitably nicknamed ‘The Young Punisher’, returns in search of his first victory in two years. The Brazilian’s last fight against Sean O’Malley ended in a no-contest following an eye poke. Despite his vast experience, Munhoz has always remained a granite-chinned, leg-kicking supremo that is impossible to out-wrestle.
Not that it will bother Chris Gutierrez. El Guapo enters Saturday off the back of murdering Frankie Edgar and will have sole intent to keep this standing. The Texan has shown greater shot variety over recent fights, but his hard straight shots remain his bread and butter.
Munhoz vs Gutierrez Prediction: Munhoz Decision
Clay Guida vs Rafa Garcia
What screams UFC quality than a 41-year-old veteran facing an unheralded 3-3 Lightweight to open the UFC Kansas City Main Card? Clay Guida’s relentless gas tank has shown a bit of wear and tear but still stands up to the test of time. The high-pressure grappler is the strongest mat threat that Garcia has faced. The Mexican showed solid TDD chops against Natan Levy but there are levels to this game.
Guida vs Garcia Prediction: Guida Decision
TJ Brown vs Bill Algeo
UFC Kansas City’s featured preliminary pits Featherweights Bill Algeo and TJ Brown in an all-wrestling affair. Algeo is far wilier on the feet and will be able to dictate the pace of the affair. Brown’s full-blooded striking is somewhat of a threat, yet his single-shots and telegraphing often see him missing the mark. The 32-year-old highlighted his submission threat last time out against Erik Silva, but he will struggle to impose himself on Algeo’s awkward frame.
Brown vs Algeo Prediction: Algeo Decision
Brandon Royval vs Matheus Nicolau
A FOTN contender sees Royval’s chaotic high-risk style pitted against Matheus Nicolau’s conservative approach. Raw Dawg’s greatest threat stems from his willingness to drop every semblance of defence in pursuit of the finish. Nicolau’s careful counter-striking should be favoured, but as seen against Kai Kara-France, it only takes one of Royval’s wild spinning strikes to flip a fight on its head.
Royval vs Nicolau Prediction: Nicolau Submission Round 3
Ed Herman vs Patrick Cummings
It’s a veteran affair between two of the longest-serving UFC oldies – Ed Herman and Zak Cummings. As a result of a lack of activity, Herman is perhaps best known in recent years for his pathetic gamesmanship against Mike Rodriguez that eventually earnt him a submission win. Despite falling off an athletic cliff, the 42-year-old at least represents a natural LHW build.
Cummings, four years Herman’s junior, is making the jump up to Middleweight. The Missourian has enjoyed more recent success and should be able to out-work Herman’s pedestrian output and occasional power strike.
Herman vs Cummings Prediction: Cummings Decision
Piera Rodriguez vs Gillian Robertson
This fight will answer one of two potential questions. Will Piera Rodriguez, who thrives from top control, look to tussle with Gillian Robertson’s fearsome submission chops? Or, will Rodriguez opt to keep the fight standing and deny Robertson her best chance of victory? Whatever the case, I will always back my Canadian submission artist, especially in her first match at Strawweight.
Rodriguez vs Robertson Prediction: Robertson Submission Round 3
Lando Vannata vs Daniel Zellhuber
After a mixed bag of success at Lightweight, Lando Vannata returns to Featherweight in a bid to snap his win-one-lose-one streak. Vannata was physically bullied by Charles Jourdain last time out, so the return to Lightweight is a smart career move. The 31-year-old may only ever be an exceptional highlight reel fighter, but his experience could be decisive in out-foxing his green foe.
At just 23, Daniel Zellhuber tasted defeat for the first time in his professional career against Trey Ogden last time out. Golden Boy is a high-volume body puncher but he has yet to face an unorthodox fighter in the pocket ala Vanatta.
Vannata vs Zellhuber Prediction: Vannata Decision
Bruna Brasil vs Denise Gomes
Brazil’s finest strawweights lock horns in a bottom-of-the-barrel contest. Debutant, Bruna Brasil, enters with a decent bit of hype after earning a second-round head kick KO on the DWCS. There is no denying the 29-year-old’s power but her gas tank was spluttering after the first round. Fortunately for Brasil, Denise Gomes doesn’t appear to own the tools to stick around in the UFC. Gomes was dominated on the mat by Loma Lookboonmee – yes, Loma Lookboonmee…
Brasil vs Gomes Prediction: Brasil Decision
Gaston Bolanos vs Aaron Phillips
Debutant, Gaston Bolanos, steps up for his UFC debut against Aaron Phillips, a fighter who hasn’t featured for the organisation in almost three years. Granted, Bolanos has had just one fight during that time, but it was an impressive first-round stoppage at Bellator 277. Expect regular spinning elbows from the Peruvian while Phillips eats more damage than he is able to output.
Bolanos vs Phillips Prediction: Bolanos TKO Round 3
Joselyne Edwards vs Lucie Pudilova
UFC Kansas City’s opening fight of the night pits up-and-comer Lucie Pudilova against journeywoman Joselyne Edwards. The Czech Bantamweight enjoyed a successful return to the UFC as she spent nearly ten minutes pounding Yanan Wu into the ground. Edwards cuts a far more imposing figure in the octagon, but she has struggled to stay standing against stronger takedown artists.
Edwards vs Pudilova Prediction: Pudilova Decision