Arnold Allen has revealed that he was offered a high-profile fight in the co-main event of UFC 286 in London, England on March 16th, but he’s had to turn it down due to an injury setback.
“I was offered the co-main event but unfortunately I popped a rib out the other week and haven’t been able to train for a few weeks,” Allen said on his YouTube channel. “It’s pretty frustrating. It’s not cool.”
The 28-year-old stayed tight-lipped on who his intended opponent was, but the word behind the scenes is that it was former champion Max Holloway.
“It was the fight everyone was expecting and the fight I wanted but I don’t even know the timeline [to return]. It will be a few weeks before I can start training again anyway. Too late to get into camp for that.”
Allen is currently on an impressive 10-fight winning streak that’s seen him defeat the likes of Calvin Kattar, Dan Hooker, Sodiq Yusuff and Gilbert Melendez along the way, so it’s understandable that he’s been left disappointed by missing out on a fight that could have led to title contention if he emerged victorious, but nonetheless he’s trying his best to not let it effect him too much.
“It is what it is.It has been the story of my life. It has always sort of worked out for the best, so we’re just going to keep that positive mindset. Hopefully get back in the gym as soon as I can. I’m confident it’s going to lead to bigger things. It’s just not meant to be. That’s the way it is. That’s the way the cookie crumbles.”
