UFC Kansas City: Holloway vs. Allen – Betting Preview

A perennial feature at the featherweight limit throughout recent years, former undisputed champion and fan favorite striker, Max Holloway, faces the possibility of dropping from the top-5 ranks in the division for the first time since 2015, as he draws the streaking technician, Arnold Allen in the main event of UFC Fight Night Kansas City this weekend.

Slated to make his Octagon comeback this weekend in Missouri, former undisputed featherweight titleholder, Holloway will make his first walk since International Fight Week back in July of last year.

The Hawaiian most recently co-headlined UFC 276 last July in a trilogy title matchup against Alexander Volkanovski at the T-Mobile Arena – failing to hurdle the New South Wales tactician at the third time of trying as he faltered to a one-sided unanimous decision loss.

Holloway, 31, a veteran under the banner of the organization, had suffered prior losses to Volkanovski over the course of five rounds – first back in 2019 in a title loss, before failing to recapture gold against the Australian in the following summer in Abu Dhabi, UAE. 

His sole victories in the last four years; a dominant decision victory of his own over common-foe, Calvin Kattar – before defeating current interim gold holder in a competitive back-and-forth at the UFC Apex facility. Retaining his stature at the top of the featherweight pile, Holloway puts his #2 rank on the line against Ipswich native, Allen – who has so far enjoyed an endless streak of triumphs over opposition since his UFC debut back in 2015.

And despite a slew of miles on the clock – notably in his last five Octagon outings against the trio of Volkanovski, Kattar, and Rodriguez, Holloway is closing currently as an outright betting favortire at -180 with BetWay. 

As for Allen, boasting a 19-1 record which includes a TKO victory over the above-mentioned common-opponent, Kattar still is not enjoy to close as a betting favorite over Hawaiian veteran, Holloway – with the former closing as a betting underdog at +130 outright against the former undisputed champion. 

Over the course of their professional careers, Holloway nor Allen have been stopped with strikes. And according to action over on BetWay the chances of a definitive finish between the two are close to be separated, with Holloway closing currently at -260 to finish Allen with strikes, as the UK representative draws closing as an underdog at +550. 

Thus, with the inclusion of judge’s scorecards predicted all round ahead of UFC Fight Night Kansas City this weekend, Holloway – who put on striking masterclasses in impressive victories over the above-mentioned, Rodriguez and Kattar, as well as Brian Ortega, Frankie Edgar, and Jose Aldo during his championship reign – has been backed into a betting favorite at -165 to hand Allen his first promotional loss come the culmination of five rounds. 

Unifying the featherweight titles back in June 2017 following a TKO win over Anthony Pettis, Holloway defeated Aldo twice with strikes, before recording as doctor’s stoppage win over Ortega and outstriking Edgar over five rounds during his tenure as king of the featherweights.