UFC London: Beating Dan Hooker would be first 'big name' win of my career - Arnold Allen

2 years ago 50

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When Arnold Allen is missing inspiration, he doesn't have to look very far to find it.

The 28-year-old from Ipswich, who faces Dan Hooker at UFC London on Saturday, glances to his left where his dad has accompanied him to the interview.

Allen's father Pacer is a former top-10 British strongman and Allen Jr is named Arnold after bodybuilding pioneer Arnold Schwarzenegger.

"It's hard to say it when he's sat right there, but he's a massive influence," Allen told BBC Sport.

"He carried a big work ethic when I was younger and watching him pursue what he wanted to do, while raising me and my brother and looking after mum, while working out and seeing the jobs he was doing - seeing all that when all I have to do is train and fight - that's easy.

"If ever I'm feeling lazy or anything I think 'well, he'd go and do this, that and then lift weights at 3am in the morning to prepare for a competition'."

Pacer himself had a short two-fight stint in MMA alongside his bodybuilding career, winning one professional fight and losing the other.

He attends all of Allen's fight to provide moral support, but doesn't have a big role in his training.

Pacer says he is glad Allen, who is ranked seventh in the featherweight rankings, has far surpassed his own accomplishments in the sport, but is more impressed by his personality outside the octagon.

"He's doing my journey for me now, but I'm more proud of him for being a decent guy in all honesty," said Pacer.

"The fight career is brilliant but you can't ask anymore than for someone to say 'he's a decent guy, humble and respectful'.

"We get a lot of stick because we don't trash talk anyone, but we don't need to."

'Being compared to Leon Edwards is a compliment'

Allen takes a different approach to many other fighters on the roster in that he doesn't engage in the verbal sparring which has become commonplace in helping to build interest in fights.

Instead he uses his social media to share his thoughts on matters such as his love of British cuisine, or his regret at wearing grey tracksuit bottoms while having to go to the toilet during weight cuts.

Allen says he has been compared to his team-mate Leon Edwards, who is another largely reserved character.

Briton Edwards is on the verge of a welterweight title shot against champion Kamaru Usman.

"I get it [trash talking], I think a lot of people do it to hide their insecurities," said Allen.

"They're not feeling comfortable so they like to make a lot of noise to make it seem like they're comfortable. I'm quietly confident so I don't feel like I need to make all that noise.

"Someone tried to insult me before by comparing me to Leon. I was like, 'that's not an insult, I'm pretty happy to be compared to Leon'.

"He's fighting for the title next, he deserves it more than anyone in that division. It's not through hype or anything else, it's through his skill and what he's done, so yeah I'd love to be compared to that."

'I want to start beating big names like Hooker'

Allen is unbeaten in the UFC and on an eight-fight winning streak.

His run is the second-longest in UFC featherweight history, behind only Max Holloway's record of 13.

He says he is happy with his record, but the names he has beaten do not compare to Holloway's, who has notable victories over Jose Aldo, Brian Ortega and Calvin Kattar.

"All the names on there Holloway has beaten are big names, ex-champions, title contenders and top-five guys," said Allen.

"I want to start adding those names and obviously this [Hooker fight] is the start of that."

New Zealand's Hooker is a popular fighter with MMA fans after being involved in many memorable fights with the likes of Dustin Poirier and Paul Felder.

The 32-year-old is moving down a division from lightweight for the bout - a switch which Allen believes aids his chances.

"I think it's more of a negative thing for him," said Allen.

"He has a height and reach advantage so he's definitely different to everyone else in the division, but it's going to kill him to get there [make weight]."

"I think it will be a technical fight. He's had those brawls in the past and I think that's part of him coming down - this is where he can be in skilful fights and it won't be favourable for him to get into that style of fight [a brawl]."

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