‘Big’ John McCarthy and Josh Thomson have weighed in on the highly-anticipated five-round matchup between Max Holloway and Arnold Allen that’ll reportedly headline the UFC Fight Night card on April 15th.
In the latest edition of the Weighing In podcast, former UFC lightweight Josh Thomson alluded to the fact that Max Holloway hasn’t competed since July 2022. ‘The Punk’ seemingly believes that spending time off with his family will likely reinvigorate Holloway.
Regardless, both Josh Thomson and his podcast co-host John McCarthy acknowledged that Arnold Allen is a tough comeback fight for ‘Blessed.’ Thomson stated:
“I think we’re gonna see an old version of Max Holloway come out there, just loving it, lighting people up, having a great time. But Arnold Allen is a tough task, man, for a comeback fight.”
They concurred that Allen must have taken notes from Yair Rodriguez’s use of calf kicks that slowed Holloway down. Josh Thomson indicated that Allen’s calf kicks, youth, size, strength, ability to hold Holloway down on the ground, and overall grappling prowess could pay dividends in the later rounds. Meanwhile, former MMA referee John McCarthy explained:
“He’s got a good ground game. It’s just not — I don’t believe — at the same level as what Arnold Allen’s is at. And so, there is a mark where you’re looking to say — In the stand-up, I give Max Holloway the advantage. On the ground, I’ve got to give it to Arnold Allen… If it plays out on the feet, I think it edges towards Max. But if it plays out going to the ground, it’s going to edge towards Arnold Allen.”
Watch Thomson and McCarthy discuss the topic at 1:12:34 in the video below:
Arnold Allen on why beating Max Holloway would mean more than winning an interim UFC featherweight title
Lobbying for a fight against Max Holloway, Arnold Allen had previously asserted that defeating the legendary Hawaiian fighter would be more significant than capturing an interim UFC featherweight title. In late 2022, the UFC booked Yair Rodriguez to fight Josh Emmett for the interim belt, leaving Allen out.
Speaking to Abz Talks soon after, Allen revealed that he’d love to fight Holloway rather than pursue the interim UFC featherweight championship. He insinuated that beating Holloway, who’s defeated almost every current top featherweight other than UFC featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski, would mean more than an interim title. ‘Almighty’ stated:
“A lot of people are saying Max is the fight to make. That would be a fun one. I don’t see why not. And also, I think a win over him would be a bigger statement, and then you throw your interim in the bin, right?”
Watch Allen’s interview below: