Top UFC featherweight Arnold Allen has admitted that struggles inside and outside of the cage have dogged his preparations for his upcoming fight with Max Holloway.
The No.4-ranked 145lb fighter from Ipswich could be as close as one fight away from a world title shot at the winner of this summer's unification bout between Alexander Volkanovski and Yair Rodriguez. But speaking with Mirror Fighting just days out from his clash with legendary former champion Holloway, he admitted it has been a tough bout to prepare for.
Allen and Holloway were initially pencilled in to compete in the co-main event of Leon Edwards' trilogy with Kamaru Usman last month in London. However an injury forced the fight back by a month, with the pair now headlining a Fight Night of their own in Kansas City.
"It's been a bumpy camp," Allen admitted. "It has not been all smooth sailing. But with all great opportunities you don't necessarily have things easy. So when you have to come through some stuff that will make the rewards a little bit greater at the end of the day.
"To come through all of the adversity and all of those sorts of things - it's going to be good. There's not been one thing in particular but just life, normal things outside of training, just stuff. Everyone's always dealing with stuff and having to come through things to make things happen.
"There's always hurdles to jump and I think that's one of the things that sort of motivates me; getting over those hurdles and getting around it. I want to get on with the job and the task at hand, so I'm here, I'm fit, I'm healthy and I'm happy to be here."
Holloway is considered one of the greatest featherweights of all time, and is one of just four men to hold the undisputed gold in the notoriously competitive division. But with his riches from a lengthy career in the fight game and world titles already achieved and defended, Allen is sure that his hunger won't be able to match that of a challenger who's had to grind his way to contention.
Who do you think wins; Arnold Allen or Max Holloway? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below!
It won't help Holloway's mental preparations knowing that even a victory likely won't push him too much closer to a fourth bout with champion Volkanovski, who has already bested him three times. "This definitely means more to me," he explained. "But I don't think that changes how hungry he is.
"Obviously I want it more, I've never been the champion and my whole career goal is to be the world champion. I'd be a very unhappy man if I retire and I was never the world champion. I don't know his financial situation but I'm pretty sure he's quite a wealthy guy, and he should be.
"I want all of those things, I want to retire as a happy champion one day. So he's got all of the things I want, he's already there, achieved all of the things I want to achieve and he's made the money, broken the records and I'm sure he's going to be in the Hall of Fame.
"He's done all of the things I want to do and I'm yet to do and I'm sure he's set for life. Those are all of the things I want to do for my family and my future. So I'm pretty sure that makes me a bit hungrier... There's a shift, the times are changing."
Watch Arnold Allen headline against Max Holloway UFC FIGHT NIGHT: HOLLOWAY vs ARNOLD this Saturday, April 15.
The prelims will be streamed live on UFC Fight Pass from 10.30am and the main card will be broadcast live on BT Sport 2 from 1.30am.
