"That was the plan" - Arnold Allen eyeing title shot next if he can end Movsar Evloev's undefeated streak at UFC 297

UFC featherweight contender Arnold Allen believes he will be next in line for a title shot, should he walk away victorious at UFC 297.

Allen is set to face Mosvar Evloev in the first bout of the main-card, which takes place on Jan. 20 at the Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The bout marks a first return for the British fighter since he suffered a unanimous decision loss to Max Holloway last year, snapping his 12-fight winning run.

'Almighty' is tasked with defeating Evloev, who is currently 17-0 as a professional. The Russian fighter has won all seven of his UFC bouts so far, last time out defeating Diego Lopes at UFC 288.

Ahead of his bout this weekend, Allen spoke to The Sun where he was asked what his motivations were for accepting the fight.

The 29-year-old stated that he believes a win over the No.9 ranked Evloev will all but guarantee him a shot at the title next. Arnold Allen said:

"He's gonna be a tough test. He's looked really good doing it. But I think taking this scalp puts me straight back in that title picture. When they [the UFC] offered it, that was exactly my thoughts. That was the plan."

He continued:

"I guess people would assume I'm gonna hit and move and box and move. But this is an MMA fight. I'm excited to show my full arsenal and my full game. I always feel I can adapt to the opponents I'm fighting."

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Arnold Allen concerned for Alexander Volkanovski ahead of Ilia Topruai bout

Featherweight contender Arnold Allen is worried Alexander Volkanovski may be returning to the octagon too early, as he prepares to defend the title against Ilia Topuria next month.

'The Great' most recently suffered a devastating first-round headkick TKO loss at the hands of Islam Makhachev last October. The Australian was seeking a second chance at conquering the Russian, however he accepted their rematch on just 10 days notice.

During a recent appearance on The MMA Hour, Allen was sceptical about the quick turnaround for 'Volk', and believes he should have taken more time to recover before agreeing to face Topuria. The British fighter said:

"I don’t like how soon Volk’s coming back after that fight. It was a few months ago now, but still, then you should’ve probably taken a long time out of the gym, or definitely not sparring for at least a month...I just hope Volk turns up tip-top and you get the best version of him and it’s not [too soon]. I’d hate to see his legacy fall apart because of a silly decision."

Catch Arnold Allen's comments here (14:25):