"Arnold Allen needs some respect on his name"- Tom Aspinall thinks Arnold Allen should be next in line for a featherweight title shot
Tom Aspinall seemingly believes that Arnold Allen ought to be next in line for a UFC featherweight title shot, provided that Allen beats Dan Hooker in his upcoming fight. Allen is scheduled to face Hooker in a much-awaited featherweight matchup on the UFC London fight card on Saturday, March 19th.
Speaking to The Schmo, UK MMA stalwart Aspinall discussed his heavyweight bout against Alexander Volkov that’ll headline UFC London. Additionally, the Englishman suggested that the fight he’s looking forward to the most – apart from his own – is the Allen-Hooker matchup.
The win streak is on the line as @Arnoldbfa welcomes @DanTheHangman back to 145 💢
[ #UFCLondon | Saturday | Prelims 1 pmET | Main Card 4 pmET | LIVE on @ESPNPlus ] https://t.co/JYrTfehxOS
Aspinall indicated that it's a shame that two fighters whom he knows and likes are going to clash against each other. However, he admitted that the Allen-Hooker matchup will be a treat for the fans.
Reigning UFC featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski is scheduled to defend his title against Chan Sung Jung at UFC 273 on April 9th. On that note, The Schmo asked Aspinall whether beating Hooker would earn Allen the next shot at the UFC featherweight title. Aspinall responded by stating:
“I think Arnold Allen needs some respect on his name. Because he’s a quiet guy. And the quiet guys don’t seem to get enough respect these days. Whatever happened to being a nice person and doing good things? So, I think Arnold Allen needs some respect. But I’m sure he’s going to get it if he beats Mr. Hooker on Saturday.”
Watch Tom Aspinall’s conversation with The Schmo in the video below:
Dan Hooker on his return to featherweight ahead of his fight against Arnold Allen
Dan Hooker has competed at both featherweight (145 pounds) and lightweight (155 pounds) over the course of his MMA career. ‘The Hangman’ fought at lightweight for the past few years and broke into the upper echelons of the division. Unfortunately, he’s lost three of his last four fights.
Hooker is now looking to start afresh. In his first fight back at 145 pounds, the fan-favorite striking savant will face Arnold Allen, who's on an impressive 10-fight win streak.
45 look alive. https://t.co/JU0pl0tKkV
In a recent edition of The MMA Hour with Ariel Helwani, Hooker indicated that he’s focused on beating Allen and returning to his winning ways. Furthermore, he explained that cutting down to featherweight doesn’t make for an easy fight camp, but it does help him grow faster than he ever did as a lightweight.
'The Hangman' said:
"It requires another level of sacrifice; it requires another level of dedication that 155 doesn't demand of me. So, this is why it's the best weight class for me, because to compete at 145 I have to be 100% laser-focused. And it brings out the best in me, which it has.”
Watch the full interview below: