Allen vs Evloev Prediction: Underdog Meets Undefeated
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Grant Young
To kick off the main card of UFC 297 in Toronto, Canada this weekend, fans are being treated to a bout that makes this Allen vs Evloev prediction a fun one to write. Two of the absolute best fighters in a deep, talent-rich division are facing off in a scrap that could very well produce the next title challenger for the UFC's featherweight division — that is, once next month's featherweight title fight takes place.
Arnold Allen and Movsar Evloev bring contrasting styles into the octagon, and both are among the world's best at their respective skillets. With them being slated to face off this weekend, the question surrounding our Arnold Allen vs Movsar Evloev prediction is which is these guys' styles will reign supreme?
UFC 297: Allen vs Evloev Prediction
Arnold Allen Preview
Despite taking a loss in his last fight, Arnold “Almighty” Allen — a fighter with a 19-2 professional record, which includes seven KO and four submission victories — there's never any shame in losing to a legend like Max Holloway; especially because Allen took Holloway to his absolute brink, and displayed that he's deserving of being considered a top-flight featherweight.
Not to mention that, prior to that April 2023 loss against Holloway, Allen had been on a 10-fight win streak in the UFC. How's that for impressive?
What stands out the most about Arnold Allen when watching him fight is the power that he possesses in his hands — specifically his left hand, which has been the Englishman's bread and butter across his professional fighting career.
Yet, while Allen is always more than willing to stand and bang, he's no slouch in the wrestling or grappling department, either.
Perhaps Allen's best weapon when it comes to grappling is his takedown defense — which he'll certainly need for an Allen vs Evloev prediction to be anything other than Evloev taking him down and submitting him in short order.
Allen certainly has a tough task ahead of him, as it pertains to takedowns. But if he is able to stuff Evloev's takedown attempts and keep this fight on the feet, Allen should have no issue finding Evloev's chin and putting him to sleep early on Saturday — perhaps earning a performance bonus in the process.
Movsar Evloev Preview
While it's true that Arnold Allen's 10-fight winning steak in the UFC prior to the Holloway loss was impressive, it pales in comparison to what Movsar Evloev — an undefeated fighter with a 17-0 professional record, which includes three KO and four submission victories — has done ever since he turned pro back in 2014.
The only place to start when discussing Evloev is his grappling. The undefeated Russian is a Master of Sport in Greco-Roman wrestling, which plays a huge part in why he is able to dominate every single fighter that he has been matched up against to this point — and conveys why he is a favorite heading into this fight against a very tough opponent.
Evloev has the same game plan heading into every fight: keep trying to take down his opponent until he does so successfully. Then, once that happens, take their back and try to submit them. And if a submission isn't available, then simply maintain enough ground control time to win rounds and ultimately win the fight — all without taking much damage or putting himself in danger.
This is what Evloev has always done — and it has worked every single time so far for him. So an obvious Allen vs Evloev prediction is that, well, would he try anything different at UFC 297?
Movsar Evloev vs Arnold Allen: Evloev's Undefeated Streak Continues
Our official Allen vs Evloev prediction is that Movsar Evloev will win by decision.
Although we have a ton of respect for Arnold Allen, there's no question that this is a terrible stylistic matchup for him. Then again, Movsar Evloev is a terrible stylistic matchup for every single fighter in the UFC's featherweight division, solely because of how elite of a grappler he is.
Evloev might have a hard time getting the first, second, or third takedown against Allen — but we believe he'll get one eventually. And considering that Evloev hasn't produced a finish during his entire UFC tenure, we don't think he'll do so at UFC 297 on Saturday. Hence why Evloev by decision — currently available at -150 — is an excellent bet.
But don't count out Arnold Allen, either, He has enough power to knock any featherweight out, and he could very well find Evloev's chin. Therefore, we would recommend considering a bet on Allen by KO/TKO, which you can find for +750.
Two of the UFC's most talented, well-rounded 145-pound fighters are set to kickstart the main card on PPV this weekend. Even if there were no other fights after it (which there are, of course), this bout between Allen vs Evloev might still be worth that PPV price.
Grant Young is a sports writer from San Francisco. He has had two professional Muay Thai fights: he got knocked out in one, and got a knockout in the other. When it comes to his favorite fighters, it's Israel Adesanya, and then it's everyone else.