“There have been times where I’ve been sitting at home annoyed like, ‘I don’t know what’s going on with this one’ or ‘Have I missed this opportunity?’ — there have been those times — but overall, I’ve stayed positive.
“Hard work is the only thing I can do. As a fighter, that’s all you can control and that’s all I can do — work hard and keep your head down.”
Since his come-from-behind submission win over Alan Omer in his debut in the summer of 2015, Allen has kept his head down, his requests to a minimum, and his winning streak intact, taking on every tough assignment set before him with the same amount of focus and determination as the previous one, knowing that the only way he was going to get to the top of the division was by maintaining that approach.
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That being said, running his winning streak to double digits and getting the opportunity to headline a UFC Fight Night event for the first time last October opposite Kattar emboldened the awkwardly charismatic lad from Trimley St. Martin, prompting him to push for this weekend’s pairing with Holloway.
“It’s been a slow progression, like you said, but taking care of what you can in the meantime — improving, making adjustments, slowly getting better — is what it’s all about,” said Allen, when asked about seeking out Saturday’s matchup and being content with the opportunities afforded to him during the course of his eight-year UFC career. “And then it’s time to start asking for something that makes sense, and these are the sort of opportunities I’ve started asking for because I feel like I deserve them and I’ve earned them.
“I kept my mouth shut for a few years, and now I’m asking politely and getting the opportunity.”
