Arnold Allen addresses Giga Chikadze’s spy allegations following UFC 304 win: “We’re a very tight-knit community”
Following their fight at UFC 304, Arnold Allen is not buying into any of Giga Chikadze's accusations. After winning a unanimous decision over the former kickboxer, Allen immediately denied the claims Chikadze pushed throughout fight week in his backstage interviews.
Allen was asked about Chikadze accusing him of sending spies to his camp and claimed the issue was nothing more than his opponent being paranoid. 'Almighty' called the MMA community "tight-knit" and chalked up the accusation to fighters constantly training worldwide.
Allen said:
"The MMA circuit is a very small circuit and we're a tight-knit community. I had a couple of teammates who were working out with [Giga Chikadze's] training partner and they just told me that he asked them to leave. But I never asked anyone to go watch or do anything. I've never done that so I was a bit confused when he said that at the face-off."
The accusations started when Chikadze brought up his concerns to Allen's face at the ceremonial weigh-ins on July 26. Later that night, he tweeted his sentiment that Allen sent spies into his camp but "no one will help [him] in the Octagon" when they fight.
In the fight, Chikadze won round one on all three judges' scorecards but Allen adjusted to win the final two rounds and secure a 29-28 unanimous decision across the board.
View Arnold Allen's full post-fight interview from MMA Junkie on YouTube below:
Arnold Allen responds to Giga Chikadze's post-fight statement
Addressing the spy accusations was not the only time Arnold Allen dismissed a claim from Giga Chikadze after beating him at UFC 304. The following morning, Allen reacted to the 35-year-old's claiming that he suffered an injury in the first round of their fight.
In a clip posted to social media, Chikadze told fans he had "no excuses" but believed he tore his right shoulder at the end of the first round. Allen scoffed at the video, telling Chikadze that it was "not the way" to handle the loss.
Allen would later note on X that he also believes he broke his hand in round one but needs an MRI to confirm the damages.