Block Six: Holloway v Allen Preview
This weekend, the UFC heads to Kansas City where Blockasset athlete Arnold Allen will look to further enhance his reputation when he comes up against former Featherweight Champion, Max Holloway.
We run through six selected fights from Saturday's card, which all feature on this week's Block Six coupon.
Bruna Brasil v Denise Gomes
This week, Block Six opens with a women's bantamweight clash between Bruna Brasil and Denise Gomes. Both fighters are currently on a roll in their careers, and a victory here could open up an opportunity against a ranked opponent in their next fight.
Bruna Brasil (8-2-1) earned her spot in the UFC after impressing in Dana White's Contender Series, where she knocked out the previously undefeated Marnic Mann. Now, she's looking to replicate that success against the formidable Denise Gomes.
Denise Gomes (6-2) received a last-minute call to face Loma Lookboonmee, a fight that didn't go as smoothly as she had hoped. Lookboonmee demonstrated the gap in skill levels between them, but Gomes displayed resilience by lasting the full 15 minutes. With a chance to bounce back, Gomes faces UFC newcomer Bruna Brasil in this upcoming bout.
Clay Guida v Rafa Garcia
Clay Guida (38-22) steps into the Octagon for his 35th UFC fight, holding an 18-16 record in the organization. Even at 41, he continues to secure wins, with a 3-2 record in his last five fights. Guida outscored veteran Michael Johnson (2021) but lost a split decision to Mark Madsen (2021). He rebounded with a submission victory over Leonardo Santos (2021) but was then submitted by Claudio Puelles (2022). Guida enters this fight coming off a split decision win against Scott Holtzman in December last year.
Rafa Garcia (14-3) has a 3-3 record in the UFC and has faced a challenging run. He debuted against Nasrat Haqparast (2021) on short notice, losing by unanimous decision. A second unanimous decision loss followed against Chris Gruetzemacher (2021), but Garcia bounced back with consecutive wins over Natan Levy (2021) and Jesse Ronson (2022). He once again stepped up as a replacement to face Drakkar Klose (2022), suffering another decision loss. However, Garcia recently returned to the win column with a victory over Hayisaer Mahaeshate (2022).
By now, it's clear that Guida employs a relentless pace, bridging the gap with wide-ranging punches and consistently seeking takedowns. While this approach has yielded considerable success, we believe Garcia should be able to prevent being dominated throughout the three rounds.
Garcia is an accomplished wrestler himself, and although he may be taken down at some point, his strength enables him to minimize control time and deliver more damage with his powerful strikes. Guida's durability may protect him from being knocked out, but he remains vulnerable to a potential submission.
Pedro Munhoz v Chris Gutierrez
Pedro Munhoz (19-7(2)) is eager for a win, particularly after his last bout ended in a 'no contest' due to an eye poke from Sean O'Malley. That fight took place nearly a year ago, and before that, Munhoz had a 1-4 record in his last five fights. He suffered decision losses to Aljamain Sterling (2019) and Frankie Edgar (2020) before claiming a decision victory against Jimmie Rivera (2021). Subsequently, he faced two more defeats at the hands of Jose Aldo (2021) and Dominick Cruz (2021), bringing his overall UFC record to 9-7(2).
Munhoz may be taking a break from facing big names, but the competition doesn't get any easier as Chris Gutierrez (18-4-2) arrives in Kansas City with an eight-fight unbeaten streak. Gutierrez's performance is only improving, as evidenced by his two knockouts last year, which featured a stunning spinning backfist against Danaa Batgerel and a powerful knee that ended Edgar's remarkable career.
In this showdown between two fierce leg kickers, expect a relentless exchange of powerful strikes as they attempt to topple each other. Both fighters boast some of the most formidable leg kicks in the division and show no hesitation in utilizing them.
Gutierrez's striking prowess continues to grow with each fight, and Pedro possesses the power to match him. Pedro's durability is also remarkable, so anticipate an intense battle. However, Pedro seems to be on a downward trajectory, and despite his experience advantage, his recent form is disheartening.
Should the fight go to the ground, Munhoz has the upper hand with his black belt in jiu-jitsu. However, he typically resorts to his grappling skills only after rocking his opponent and seizing the opportunity for a guillotine. Therefore, the outcome of this match will likely be determined by their stand-up striking, which is expected to be a closely contested affair.
Tanner Boser v Ion Cutelaba
Ion Cutelaba and Tanner Boser is a real pick-em fight at the T-Mobile Center this Saturday. Cutelaba holds a record of 16-9, with 75 percent of his wins coming by knockout. Boser enters the fight with a 20-9-1 record, achieving 55 percent of his victories by knockout.
Cutelaba has experienced losses in three of his last four fights, with his most recent defeat in November against Kennedy Nzechukwu. Averaging 4.43 significant strikes per minute and a 42 percent accuracy rate, Cutelaba also averages 4.70 takedowns with 57 percent accuracy. He is now seeking his first win since UFC Fight Night 192. Known for his stand-up striking, Cutelaba has a wrestling background and experience in Sambo and Judo. Despite his powerful striking ability, Cutelaba's conditioning tends to decline quickly, and he has a 1-3-1 record in his last 5 fights that extended beyond the first round. This will be Cutelaba's seventh career fight in Nevada.
On the other hand, Boser has an even split in his last 8 fights, coming off a September loss to Rodrigo Nascimento. Averaging 4.21 significant strikes per minute with a 52 percent accuracy rate, Boser does not have any recorded takedowns. Following a decision loss at UFC Fight Night 210, Boser has now lost 3 of his last 4 fights and each of the last 4 that went the distance. With a Shitō-ryū black belt and a BJJ purple belt, Boser relies on his cardio, hand speed, and leg kicks. His quickness in the division is noteworthy, and he has never lost by submission. Boser's background in karate informs his focus on leg kicks and footwork. This will be Boser's sixth career fight in Nevada.
Although Cutelaba may be the favorite, his recent performances have not been inspiring. Boser has faced some challenging decisions recently but is a more accurate striker, larger fighter, and has sufficient takedown defense to control the fight.
Edson Barboza v Billy Quarantillo
Edson Barboza (22-11) enters the Octagon for his 28th UFC bout on Saturday. His time in the lightweight division was exciting, and although he didn't break into title contention, he had a 14-8 record against top competitors.
In 2020, Barboza moved to the featherweight division, where he experienced a controversial split decision loss to Dan Ige. He bounced back with a unanimous decision victory over Makwan Amirkhani (2020) and a classic knockout against Shane Burgos (2021). However, he faced a knockout loss to Giga Chikadze (2021) and was outwrestled by Bryce Mitchell (2022) in a fight that ended in a decisive unanimous decision.
Billy Quarantillo (17-4) prepares for the most significant fight of his career following an impressive knockout win over Alexander Hernandez, which earned him a 'Performance of the Night' award.
This victory came after a unanimous decision defeat to Burgos (2021) the previous year. Just four months prior, Quarantillo secured a knockout against Gabriel Benitez (2021), adding to his list of notable victories. A win against Barboza would undoubtedly be the crowning achievement of his career thus far.
Max Holloway v Arnold Allen
The evening's main event offers up one of the most intriguing contests in the UFC this year. Despite being on a win streak of ten fights, Arnold Allen's (19-1) rise has largely gone unnoticed - with fellow prospects Ilia Topuria and Bryce Mitchell courting more attention. However, the mild-mannered UK fighter will catapult himself into the limelight if he overcomes his assignment on Saturday night.
Former UFC Featherweight Max Holloway (23-7) is one of the most recognisable faces in the sport, having built up a legion of fans since signing for the promotion eleven years ago. However, Holloway, who turns 32 later this year, finds himself at a crossroads, having been defeated four times in his last seven fights.
The bookmakers have given Holloway a slight edge, probably due to his experience of big nights and having shared the Octagon with some of the sport's legendary figures in the past. However, Blockasset athlete Arnold Allen has stepped up in class with two consecutive stoppages in his last two outings, and he certainly has the talent to give Holloway a very uncomfortable night.
Is this the next step in Allen's journey to follow compatriots Michael Bisping and Leon Edwards in becoming UK UFC champions, or will we see a resurgence of Holloway?
