Last time out, Allen faced Movsar Evloev in Toronto and fell on the wrong side of the scorecards, losing by unanimous decision. It was Allen’s second loss in a row, after he dropped a decision to former featherweight champion Max Holloway last April. Even though no one wants to lose and reflect on those setbacks, it is a part of the game sometimes and a good reminder that you never know what may happen when you leave it in the hands of the judges.
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The featherweight division is at an interesting time with Ilia Topuria defeating Alexander Volkanovski at UFC 298 in February. It has opened things up a bit for the rest of the contenders in the Top 5 and Top 10, and it’s in a spot where now an athlete could be one or two spots away from a title shot with a big statement. That’s certainly the case with Allen’s matchup with Chikadze this weekend. It’s a No. 6 versus No. 10 matchup, but in Allen’s mind, the numbers don’t really matter at this level.
“Everyone knows how good everyone is; once you’re in the top ten they’re all hard fights,” Allen said. “It’s not like number two fighting number ten makes a difference. They’re all tough fights and any style matchup and any guy preparing right, on the night, can get a win. Ilia obviously is the champ now, but there’s still so many questions.”