Best UFC Kansas City Bets: Max Holloway vs. Arnold Allen Picks

  • What: UFC Kansas City Fight Card
  • Main Event: Max Holloway vs. Arnold Allen Featherweight Bout
  • Date:Β Saturday, April 15, 2023
  • Location: T-Mobile Center in Kansas City, MO
  • Time: Prelims (5:30 p.m. ET), Main Card (8:30 p.m. ET)
  • How to Watch: Prelims (ESPN, ESPN+). Main Card (ESPN, ESPN+)

In an inspired bit of matchmaking, the UFC pits former featherweight champion Max Holloway against the surging Arnold Allen in the main event of its ESPN broadcast April 15 fight card, which takes place at T-Mobile Center in Kansas City, MO. Here is some background on the card’s main event fighters before we discuss, in detail, the betting breakdown of the UFC Fight Night: Holloway vs. Allen fight card.

Max Holloway is the No. 2 fighter in the official UFC featherweight rankings. Holloway, who has a 23-7 record, was the UFC’s 145-pound champion from December 2017 through December 2019, when he lost a decision to Alexander Volkanovski. Since then, Holloway has lost two more title fights to Volkanovski by decision while picking up wins over Calvin Kattar and Yair Rodriguez. He is coming off a July 2022 decision defeat to Volkanovski.

Arnold Allen is the No. 4 fighter in the official UFC 145-pound rankings. With a 19-1 record, Allen is undefeated in the UFC (10-0) since joining the promotion in 2015. Allen has TKO wins in his past two fights. He last competed in October when he picked up a win over Kattar via TKO (knee injury) in the first stanza.

Before we look at the best bets for the main event of the UFC Fight Night card from Kansas City between Max Holloway and Arnold Allen, check out the best UFC betting sitesΒ and where you can find theΒ best odds on all the UFC fights

Max Holloway vs. Arnold Allen picks

To Win UFC Kansas City Main EventBetOnline ReviewBovadaGTBets Review
Max Holloway-180-170-180
Arnold Allen+155+140+150

Max Holloway vs. Arnold Allen breakdown and analysis

Max HollowayΒ has established himself as the standard forΒ striking volume and outputΒ in the UFC. The Hawaiian holds theΒ UFC career recordΒ forΒ significant strikes landed (2,975). Holloway also owns UFC records in total strikes landed (3,217). The former champ’s 2021 bout opposite Calvin Kattar saw him set records in striking differential (plus 312), significant strikes landed (445), significant strikes attempted (744), distance strikes landed (439), significant head strikes landed (274), significant body strikes landed (117), total strikes landed (447) and total strikes attempted (746). Only one UFC featherweight has managed to outstrike Holloway over the past nine years, and that man is the current champion Alexander Volkanovksi.

Arnold Allen does not have nearly as high of a striking output as Holloway (7.24 significant strikes per minute landed vs. 3.40), and his landing rate is five percent lower than Holloway’s 47 percent. However, Allen gets hit a lot less than Holloway (4.89 significant strikes absorbed per minute vs. 2.25).Β  One concern about Allen is if he will be able to keep up the pace that Holloway will look to establish. That’s a worry since this is Allen’s first five-round fight under the UFC banner. Yes, he has gone the three-round distance with the promotion, but the most significant strike attempts he has faced in one fight with the UFC was 172. Holloway attempted 191 significant strikes in the fourth round of his matchup against Kattar.

Max HollowayTO BEAT ARNOLD ALLEN
β˜…β˜…β˜…β˜…β˜…
-180
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Who has the edge

Holloway has the edge in experience and in quality of opposition. That should serve him well in this matchup. If there is one concern about Holloway, it is if (and when) the number of significant strikes he has absorbed over the years will catch up to him. Holloway is only 31, but he has been fighting with the UFC since 2012. Further, he has been competing at the top of his weight division since not long after that. Holloway has reportedly changed his sparring habits and he avoids taking heavy shots in the gym. Still, the fact remains that he has already spent nearly seven hours inside the octagon, and he has taken a lot of punishment during that time. Remarkably, Holloway has never been knocked down or knocked out in his UFC career. The same can be said about Allen.

The fight game tends to catch up to its athletes at some point. That has yet to happen to Holloway, but it is something to keep in mind ahead of his matchup against the up-and-coming Allen.

Arnold AllenTO BEAT MAX HOLLOWAY
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+140
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Best UFC Fight Night Kansas City: Holloway vs. Allen bets

The first bet to place on the Holloway vs. Allen fight is for the fight to go the distance. With how these men have performed in the past, there is a great deal of value in that prop bet for the main event of the UFC Fight Night Kansas City card. As for the outcome, my Holloway vs. Allen betting pick is for Holloway to win via decision. The great unknown of Allen’s cardio is a significant factor in making that pick, so if you feel Allen can hang with Holloway over five rounds and keep up a solid pace and strong output, there is value in betting on Allen to win via decision.

Best bet for UFC Fight Night Kansas City main event: Max Holloway to beat Arnold Allen via decision.

Max HollowayTO BEAT ARNOLD ALLEN
β˜…β˜…β˜…β˜…β˜†
-180
Bet now

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Trent Reinsmith

Trent is a professional sports journalist specializing in UFC, MMA, and esports coverage. His work has been featured in prestigious publications such as USA Today Sports, Vice, Bloody Elbow, Fight! Magazine, UFC 360, and Narratively. Trent's connection to MMA dates back to the early days when he and his friends pooled their resources to purchase the pay-per-view broadcast of UFC 1. He also has extensive experience in esports, particularly League of Legends and Counter Strike, dating back to the game's launch.