On Saturday night Cage Warriors Fighting Championship returns to The Forum in Kentish Town London for the 60th installment of Europe’s premier mixed martial arts promotion. On the main card, top European prospect Arnold Allen returns to action after his coming out performance against Andy Green in July. Arnold took some time out to speak exclusively to MMA Ratings prior to his fight against Declan Williams.
I asked Arnold has he noticed a rise in popularity since his spectacular performance against Green, and he said:
” I was happy with my performance and happy to get a finish, I have earned some new followers since fighting on Cage Warriors!”
When I asked Arnold how he has been preparing for Williams, he responded:
“I’ve been training at BKK Fighters in Colchester, England with my usual teammates Sean Carter, Jason Cooledge, Dean Simmons, and Craig Powell. I’ve also had Jack Mason, John Maguire, and Luke Barnatt, and loads other top fighters to work with.”
Allen’s teammates are perhaps his greatest weapon, as iron sharpens iron, and Allen is surrounded by the UK’s strongest proverbial iron. In Mason he has one of the most experienced and intelligent fighters around, and with Barnatt and Maguire he has two teammates who have risen to the upper echelon of mixed martial arts and fought in the UFC.
I asked Arnold about training with such well-known fighters, and he said:
“It’s great. It makes me realise that my dream of fighting in the UFC could become a reality whereas before it always felt as if it would always be impossible.”
In Dec Williams, Allen is facing a vastly more experienced foe. I asked him if he thought the prospect of facing a more seasoned fighter was daunting, and he replied:
“Not at all, I’ve got a lot of experience of my own. My professional MMA record makes it seem like I haven’t much experience, but I have.”
Allen told me he has no set plan going into the fight. He said:
“I’ll take the fight as it comes, I’m happy wherever it goes though.”
Dec Williams is the solid opponent that Allen needs at this point of his career. Williams is dangerous everywhere, and brings finishing power; that means he’s always dangerous. In the past Williams has been susceptible to submissions, and as Allen showed last time out when he choked out Green, he is ever-improving in that aspect. I expect Allen to come out and show his technical and varied striking, throwing out a varied aerial onslaught before taking the fight to the ground, passing Williams’ guard, and beating him from mount until Williams gives up his back and gets tapped out.
I am of the opinion that Allen’s meteoric rise is inevitable, and on Saturday night he will show off a new version of himself. As we so often see with fighters at his age, there is a vast improvement from fight to fight. Within the three-month period since he’s last fought, Allen has been working diligently on expanding his already impressive skill set.
Cage Warriors matchmaker Ian Dean has proven in the past that he knows how to match up potential stars, and in Williams, Allen has been given an opponent to showcase his skills against. Allen has stated that he wants to stay active inside the cage, so expect to be hearing a lot more from this gifted athlete in the future.
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Cage Warriors 60 will take place on October 5, 2013 at The Forum in London, England.
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