RALEIGH, N.C. – Arnold Allen hopes 2020 is the year he finally fights three times in the UFC.
Allen (15-1 MMA, 6-0 UFC) has been with the promotion since June 2015, but he has graced the octagon on just six occasions. While he’s won all those bouts, 2019 was the first year in his UFC stint that he’s fought more than once.
With the potential to get the year off to a promising start with his featherweight matchup against Nik Lentz (30-10-2 MMA, 14-7-1 UFC) on Saturday at UFC on ESPN+ 24, Allen thinks 2020 could be his year.
“Fighting in January, if everything goes the way I want it to go, then midyear, then the end of the year – three fights would be perfect,” Allen told MMA Junkie on Wednesday. “It was kind of a blessing in disguise, the one fight a year thing, because I was improving at all time, my level has gone up.”
Despite a feeling of lost time, Allen is still just 26. He’s coming off the most notable win of his career against former Strikeforce champ and UFC title challenger Gilbert Melendez at UFC 239 in July, and that performance lifted his confidence going into what could be a breakout year.
“I always believed I was there in that sort of top-tier competition,” Allen said. “Obviously he’s not where he used to be, as good as he used to be, but I believe these veterans never lose it. They got all this experience, they got all this ring time, cage time, all that stuff. It’s hard to go out there and beat those guys. However you may do it, it’s tough.”
Allen was supposed to fight a top-15 opponent in Josh Emmett on Saturday’s card, which takes place at PNC Arena and streams on ESPN+. A last-minute injury caused a shakeup, though, and now he meets Lentz, who is a 23-fight veteran of the octagon and also had his opponent withdraw.
Although Allen admits Emmett and Lentz have the “opposite style,” he’s taken the switch of opponent in stride and plans to perform.
“Not too much really ever changed,” Allen said. “The main focus is just to make sure I’m doing everything right. … Preparation you just have to switch a couple things and it’s done.”
