Arnold Allen might be the higher-quality fighter in every phase, but Giga Chikadze will be a tough out at UFC 304.
Giga Chikadze and Arnold Allen meet Saturday on the main card of UFC 304 at Co-op Live in Manchester, England. Check out this quick breakdown of the matchup from MMA Junkie analyst Dan Tom.
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Allen (19-3 MMA, 10-2 UFC) ascended through the ranks of the UFC featherweight division by winning his first 10 fights but then crashed, losing back-to-back fights to former champ Max Holloway and top contender Movsar Evloev. Allen should be motivated to get back on track. … Injuries have prevented Chikadze (15-3 MMA, 8-1 UFC) from being active as he fought just once in 2022, once in 2023 and is about to make his 2024 debut. After being overwhelmed by Calvin Kattar in 2022, Chikadze rebounded to defeat Alex Caceres by unanimous decision in his most recent fight last year.
Despite usually ripping the UFC matchmakers for this selection of the main-card opener, I’ve got to give them credit for finally going back to Joe Silva’s surefire card formatting signature of shunning heavyweight slop-fests to the prelims while using lightweights and featherweights to properly kick off the featured fights.
This week, Mick Maynard and Sean Shelby smartly chose a fight between Allen and Chikadze to start the paid portion of the card.
Although Allen is currently riding a two-fight losing skid, it’s important to remember that those losses came to two of the very best in the division (and was arguably a big moment or two away from beating Movsar Evloev last time out).
Whereas Chikadze, who is currently trying to build on a win over Alex Caceres, has gotten much more favorable matchmaking than the Englishman. But that aside, both men pose interesting stylistic threats for the other.
I rate Allen as a higher-quality fighter in almost every phase. The 30-year-old tends to operate in a range that suits Chikadze and his kicking repertoire.
For that reason, things could get tricky if Allen fails to pressure or counter at the proper times. That said, I suspect that Allen will be able to score consistently down the stretch after navigating what should be a sketchy first round.
So long as he doesn’t give away too many of the “big moments” that tend to fool the judges and Gen Pop alike, then I see Allen taking a competitive but clear decision on the scorecards.
The oddsmakers and the public are siding with the Englishman, listing Allen -230 and Chikadze +184, according to FanDuel.
Allen and Chikadze are expected to walk out to the cage at approximately 10:15 p.m. ET. The fight will stream on ESPN+ pay-per-view.
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 304.
