Arnold Allen: ‘I don’t want to be famous, just the best fighter in the world’

You might not have heard of Arnold Allen. That might be by design.

The 28-year-old is one of Britain’s best mixed martial artists, a top-10 featherweight in the UFC with a professional record of 17-1. But for the Suffolk fighter, progress in the ring has always taken precedence over his profile out of it.

“I don’t want to be famous, I don’t like it,” Allen says.

“I just want to be the best fighter in the world, I don’t necessarily want the fame that comes with it.”

Since debuting in the UFC in 2015, Allen has extended his win streak from two to 10 while climbing the rankings at 145lbs. He was initially fighting for the promotion once a year on average but had entered a period of increased activity just before the Covid-19 pandemic hit in early 2020.

Allen has fought just once in the two years since, and he believes that the lack of activity and a tendency to win fights via decision rather than stoppage have been factors in his rise being gradual instead of explosive. More important in the matter, perhaps, is Allen’s reluctance to engage in any verbal violence.

“I don’t really talk any crap!” he says. “I just don’t want to be someone I’m not. That’s not who I am.

“I’ve always been pretty humble and quiet, I’m not gonna start calling people names over the internet. That’s not what I do.”

The upside to Allen’s reserved approach has been the respect he has received from fans and analysts, who unanimously recognise the Englishman’s talents and potential. As such, Allen is set for the biggest fight of his career on Saturday, when he takes on Dan Hooker in the co-main event of UFC London.

Former lightweight contender Hooker is returning to featherweight for the bout, with the 32-year-old New Zealander looking to reinvigorate