The UFC is headed back to Kansas City, and bringing former champion Max Holloway with them.
Holloway will headline the UFC Fight Night card on April 15 against Arnold Allen. The event takes place from the T-Mobile Center in Kansas City, airing live on ESPN and ESPN+.
Along with Holloway vs. Allen, Edson Barboza takes on Billy Quarantillo in another featherweight fight.
Fan favorite Holloway (23-7, fighting out of Waianae, Hawaii) aims to make his first Octagon appearance of 2023 a dominant one. Among the greatest featherweights to ever compete in the UFC, Holloway holds the divisional records for most wins (18), most finishes (10), longest win streak (13), and total strikes landed (2,872). He now plans to earn his way back into the title picture by taking out a fellow top contender.
Allen (19-1, fighting out of Trimley St. Martin, Suffolk, England) intends on delivering his best performance yet in the biggest opportunity of his MMA career. Undefeated in the UFC since joining in 2015, he has worked his way to the Top 5 rankings with notable wins over Calvin Kattar, Dan Hooker and Gilbert Melendez. Allen now looks to leave no doubt against Holloway and stake his claim for a title shot.
Barboza (22-11, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) returns to action aiming to add another spectacular highlight to his resume. Rising contender Quarantillo (17-4, fighting out of Tampa, Fla.) seeks to break into the Top 15 for the first time.
Additional bouts on the card include
* No. 15 ranked light heavyweight contender Azamat Murzakanov (12-0, fighting out of Nalchik, Russia) defends his undefeated record against Dustin Jacoby (18-6-1, fighting out of Springfield, Ill.)
* Tanner Boser (20-9-1, fighting out of Alberta, Canada) makes his light heavyweight debut against Ion Cutelaba (16-9-1 1NC, fighting out of Chisinau, Moldova)
* In a battle of Top 15 bantamweights, No. 9 ranked Pedro Munhoz (19-7 2NC, fighting out of Sao Paulo, Brazil) faces No. 12 Chris Gutierrez (19-3-2, fighting out of Littleton, Colo.)
* Featherweights Bill Algeo (16-7, fighting out of King of Prussia, Penn.) and TJ Brown (17-9, fighting out of Little Rock, Ark.) collide in a Fight of the Night contender
* Kansas City’s own Zak Cummings (24-7, fighting out of Kansas City, Mo.) matches up with fellow veteran Ed Herman (27-15 1NC, fighting out of Portland, Ore.) at light heavyweight
* UFC Hall of Famer Clay Guida (38-19, fighting out of Johnsburg, Ill.) returns against Rafa Garcia (15-3, fighting out of Imperial, Calif.) at lightweight
* The record holder for most finishes in UFC women’s flyweight history, Gillian Robertson (11-7, fighting out of Coconut Creek, Fla. by way of Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada) aims for another signature stoppage against Piera Rodriguez (9-0, fighting out of Maracaibo, Venezuela)
* Top 5 flyweights lock horns as No. 4 Brandon Royval (14-6, fighting out of Lakewood, Colo.) meets No. 5 Matheus Nicolau (19-3-1, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil)
* Dana White’s Contender Series alums Bruna Brasil (8-2-1, fighting out of Sao Paulo, Brazil) and Denise Gomes (6-2, fighting out of Niteroi, Brazil) clash in a strawweight tilt
* Bantamweights Aaron Phillips (12-4, fighting out of Lafayette, La.) and Gaston Bolanos (6-3, fighting out of Dublin, Calif.) vie to secure their first UFC wins
* Lando Vannata (12-6-2, fighting out of Albuquerque, N.M.) and Daniel Zellhuber (12-1, fighting out of Estado de Mexico, Mexico) battle in a striker’s delight at lightweight
* Joselyne Edwards (12-4, fighting out of Panama City, Panama) and Lucie Pudilova (9-6, fighting out of Pribram, Czech Republic) kick off the event at bantamweight
More About:MMA MMA Frenzy Sports