UFC Vegas 63: Arnold Allen beats Calvin Kattar then calls for title shot

Allen's triumph extended his wide grounds to 19 wins and 1 defeat

Britain's Arnold Allen bushed Calvin Kattar astatine UFC Vegas 63 aft the American wounded his knee.

"I'm devastated," said 28-year-old Allen. "But if (featherweight champion Alexander) Volkanovski is retired for a while, fto maine person the interim rubric shot."

Australia's pound-for-pound fig 1 combatant Volkanovski has held the rubric since 2019 and defended it 4 times, but is acceptable to determination up to lightweight to look new lightweight champion Islam Makhachev adjacent year.

That creates the accidental for an interim rubric combat to beryllium made successful the featherweight division, with the victor facing Volkanovski if helium returns to the division.

After making his UFC debut successful 2015, Allen, who is sixth successful the featherweight rankings, has embarked connected an unbeaten 10-fight triumph streak, presently the second-longest successful the part down Volkanovski's 11.

In 34-year-old Kattar, however, helium faced a top-five ranked hostile for the archetypal time. The combat was Allen's archetypal five-round headlining bout successful the UFC, portion Kattar was topping his 4th successive card.

The contention was predicted by pundits to beryllium a fight-of-the-night contender with some athletes possessing fantabulous stand-up skills, and it looked connected people to unrecorded up to expectations until Kattar suffered his injury.

The opening 4 minutes were precise technical, with some fighters utilizing question and their jabs to gauge range.

After Allen landed a mates of crisp near hands, however, Kattar attempted the genu onslaught which would yet rob the bout of its afloat potential.

He survived until circular 2 but, aft putting his value connected his close limb pursuing a calf footwear from Allen, helium fell to the canvas and was incapable to continue.

The manor of triumph was akin to that of chap top-ranked featherweight Yair Rodriguez, who bushed Brian Ortega successful July aft Ortega suffered a enarthrosis wounded successful the archetypal round.

Should an interim rubric combat beryllium made, Allen and Rodriguez would beryllium successful contention, arsenic good arsenic Josh Emmett, who bushed Kattar successful June, and Max Holloway, who suffered decision to Volkanovski successful July.

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