"Those guys should not have to wait for the champion" - Daniel Cormier calls for interim title fight between Arnold Allen and Josh Emmett
Arnold Allen recently picked up a TKO victory over Calvin Kattar after his opponent suffered an injury that rendered him unable to continue. Former double champ Daniel Cormier believes the performance should land Allen an interim title fight against Josh Emmett.
Arnold Allen via Round 2 TKO
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Speaking on DC & RC, the UFC Hall of Famer stated:
"Arnold Allen deserves to fight for some portion of the championship. I believe his humility in that moment is what actually turned me about. And honestly, Josh Emmett does deserve an interim title fight also. Those guys should not have to wait for the champion as he tries to chase down greatness."
Cormier added:
"Give the champion an opportunity to do something truly special, but allow for the weight class to continue to move and see if something shows itself... I don't like when a guy has to win double digit fights in the UFC in order to earn a championship opportunity. It seems like way too long and I would like to see Allen fighting for some portion of the championship."
Cormier added that he would like to see Allen face Josh Emmett in Australia on the same card as current featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski. While it is unclear if there will be an interim title, the No.1-ranked pound-for-pound fighter will challenge Islam Makhachev for the lightweight title before defending his featherweight title.
Watch Daniel Cormier discuss a potential interim title fight between Arnold Allen and Josh Emmett below (starting at the 13:03 mark):
Arnold Allen calls for interim title shot following his TKO victory over Calvin Kattar
While Arnold Allen was looking for a more dominant performance in his main event fight against Calvin Kattar, he was able to extend his winning streak to twelve. Following the fight, Allen called for an interim title fight.
Speaking to former UFC middleweight champion Michael Bisping following his victory, Allen stated:
"Volkanovski asked the guys to make a statement and it's another injury, TKO by injury . I can't really ask for a title shot off this, maybe give me the interim job... If Volkanovski's gonna be out for a while going up in weight, give me the interim shot. I feel like I deserve it."
While Allen's victory was hardly a statement, he has proven that he deserves a title opportunity by winning his first ten UFC fights. With Volkanovski set to pursue the lightweight title at UFC 284 in Australia, it is unclear if the UFC will set up an interim featherweight title fight to keep the division moving.
Watch Arnold Allen call for an interim title opportunity below (starting at the 0:28 mark):