Max Holloway stays in UFC title picture, outpoints Arnold Allen

Max Holloway is still one of the best featherweight fighters in the world, which has been the case for the better part of a decade.

The former UFC featherweight champion beat Arnold Allen via unanimous decision (49-46, 49-46, 48-47) in the main event of UFC Kansas City on Saturday. It was a strong performance for Holloway in a crossroads fight in his career. Had he lost, he would have fallen from his place as a top contender for the first time in about eight years. Holloway has not lost a nontitle fight since 2013.

«That man hits like a truck,» Holloway said of Allen in his postfight interview. «He got me in the last round and blacked my eye. Dammit, Arnold. My modeling career is in jeopardy because of you.»

Coming in, ESPN had Holloway ranked No. 3 in the world at featherweight and Allen at No. 8. Allen was looking for his biggest win to date after starting his UFC career with 10 straight wins.

Holloway came out strong in the first round, landing combinations in a southpaw stance. He switched back to orthodox and landed a hard right kick to the body late in the first, a technique he used masterfully all night. Allen rallied in the second with some hard combinations.

The third round was a key for Holloway. Allen cut him early on the inside of his left eye with a punch, but Holloway landed combos and three hard body kicks late.

In the fourth, Allen landed some nice left hands and might have done enough to even things up going into final round. Allen pressured Holloway hard to start the fifth and landed. But Holloway landed a spinning back elbow and, after getting clipped in the closing seconds, rocked Allen with two left hooks and a right hand as the bell sounded.

Holloway said he wanted to re-create the famous finish to