Top Featherweight Clash Reportedly Set As First Matchup For UFC 297

This matchup could set the winner up as the UFC's next featherweight title challenger.

An exciting matchup between Top 10 featherweights is reportedly in the works for UFC 297.

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The UFC’s first pay-per-view event of 2024 will be on January 20 and is rumored to take place in Toronto according to Red Fury MMA. Following an initial report from Twitter user @judobetter995, it appears that Arnold Allen and Movsar Evloev are set to meet at the event. 

Arnold Allen will fight Movsar Evloev at #UFC297 on January 20th. (fight first rep. @judobetter995 & location/date first rep. @REDFURYFT) #UFC #MMA #UFCESPN #UFCToronto #UFC2024 pic.twitter.com/3j9jHLbX8e

— Marcel Dorff 🇳🇱🇮🇩 (@BigMarcel24) October 4, 2023

Currently the UFC’s #4-ranked featherweight contender, Allen won his first ten fights in the promotion before dropping a unanimous decision to former champion Max Holloway in April. “Almighty” had looked to be closing in on a featherweight title shot prior to what was just the second loss of his career and his first since 2014.

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Allen will be tasked with defending his Top 5 ranking at UFC 297 when he meets Evloev, who is unbeaten in his career and is currently ranked at #9 in the featherweight division.

The American Top Team-trained fighter has unfortunately failed to fight more than twice a year since joining the UFC in 2019, but his list of wins during that period does include longtime top featherweight Dan Ige.

Evloev is unbeaten in his career.  :: (Ed Mulholland/USA TODAY Sports)

Evloev was scheduled to meet Bryce Mitchell earlier this year at UFC 288 before “Thug Nasty” withdrew with a back injury, and Elvoev subsequently ended up winning a unanimous decision over Diego Lopes in the latter fighter’s promotional debut.

Alexander Volkanovski has now defended his featherweight title five times following his victory over Yair Rodriguez earlier this year, and perhaps at UFC 297 either Allen or Evloev will be able to establish themselves as a suitable contender to keep “The Great” from making a second trip up to the lightweight division for his next outing.

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