5 of the most overlooked fighters in the UFC today

#2 Arnold Allen – UFC featherweight contender

Arnold Allen is a remarkable 8-0 in the UFC.

The UFC’s featherweight division is one of the more stacked in the promotion, with hot contenders like Max Holloway, Brian Ortega, Chan Sung Jung, Yair Rodriguez and Zabit Magomedsharipov all gunning for a shot at champion Alexander Volkanovski.

However, despite garnering little to no fanfare, there’s actually an up-and-coming fighter in the division who has put together an incredible run of eight straight wins in the octagon.

Quite why the UK’s Arnold Allen remains overlooked is an absolute mystery. The UFC’s official rankings certainly don’t seem to be overlooking him – he’s currently at #6 – but ask any casual fan about the division’s contenders, and Allen is unlikely to be named.

Granted, Allen – like the other fighters on this list – doesn’t talk a lot of trash, and nor does he really finish his foes in highlight-reel ways like Rodriguez and Jung do. In fact, of his eight UFC wins, only two have been via stoppage.

But that shouldn’t mean this hugely talented fighter – who trains out of Georges St-Pierre’s old camp with renowned coach Firas Zahabi – should be as overlooked as he is. After all, nobody can sneeze at wins over Sodiq Yusuff, Nik Lentz and Gilbert Melendez.

Stunner 💥@ArnoldBFA has Yusuff hurt in RD 1! #UFCVegas23 pic.twitter.com/wrdAEXprMW

— UFC (@ufc) April 10, 2021

Hopefully, ‘Almighty’ will be given more of a chance to prove himself against elite-level opposition soon. Arnold Allen may not be so overlooked if he can pick up a ninth victory in a row, though.

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#1 Vicente Luque – UFC welterweight contender

Vicente Luque could still become a major star for the UFC.

Perhaps the most unfairly overlooked fighter in the UFC right now is welterweight contender Vicente Luque. Sure, fans will probably be talking about him this week after his impressive win over Michael Chiesa at UFC 265, but as time goes by, the clamour around him is likely to fade.

Instead, the UFC’s fans seem more focused on the likes of Colby Covington, Leon Edwards and Nate Diaz as potential challengers to current UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman. The only question is why?

The clue is in Vicente Luque’s nickname. Known as ‘The Silent Assassin’, the veteran of TUF 21 rarely gets vocal on the microphone, despite a call-out of Usman at UFC 265.

Calling his shot at the champ 🗣👀[ @VicenteLuqueMMA | #UFC265 ] pic.twitter.com/l4JO3mzDZV

— UFC (@ufc) August 8, 2021

While his highlight reel is second to none in the UFC – he has 14 wins in the UFC and has only gone the distance once – it means fans tend to easily overlook him.

Could Vicente Luque become a star yet? It is possible, especially given that his fighting style means he garners plenty of attention in the moments right after an event where he’s been involved in.

However, the UFC will need to give him a major push if they ever want him to really take off in the eyes of the fans. Given that he may well be able to provide the most entertaining fight for Usman, the promotion could be wise to do just that – and stop ‘The Silent Assassin’ from being overlooked anymore.