Arnold Allen Initially Hoped for Bigger Name Than 'Tough Test' Movsar Evloev

Ultimate Fighting Championship featherweight Arnold Allen would have admittedly preferred a bigger name than the undefeated Movsar Evloev for his next Octagon appearance.

Allen will look to bounce back from his first UFC loss against Max Holloway when he takes on Evloev at UFC 297 on Jan. 20 in Toronto. The Englishman had originally lobbied for a clash against Brian Ortega, who was ultimately booked for a rematch against Yair Rodriguez at UFC Mexico. While Allen had hoped for a more notable name, he believes Evloev is underrated.

“He’s very highly touted,” Allen recently told Violent Money TV. “I think there was some easier fights with higher-ranked guys. We were asking straight up for Ortega after the Holloway fight – the bigger name, the bigger fight – and obviously he was out for a while. Then I think they just want to make him and Yair rematch down the line.”

“I think that’s what they’re doing now. There’s some easier matchups and higher-ranked guys, but I think [Evloev is] a very credible opponent and the rankings are kind of chosen, aren’t they? So if you go on the official rankings – not the UFC rankings, the Fight Matrix ones – he’s much higher than they have him.”

Regardless of the rankings, Allen believes defeating tough up-and-comer is better than beating a top-ranked opponent on a slump.

“It’s a tough test,” he said. “And I think beating an undefeated guy and taking his hype and taking his undefeated record away, that’s a lot bigger than beating a No. 3 guy that’s on a skid or something.”