At the time, it was viewed as a sign that Allen wasn’t ready to hang with Top 15 talent, but with Strickland continuing to thrive and emerging as a dark horse contender in the 185-pound weight class, that setback doesn’t seem nearly as detrimental to Allen’s aspirations. And since then, the Sanford MMA product has consecutive victories over Karl Roberson and Punahele Soriano, looking like the potential contender many have tabbed him to be since his days facing tough competition under the LFA banner.
READ: Brendan Allen Knows How To Bring His Best On Fight Night
This weekend, Allen steps in with Chris Curtis in another short notice pairing that was originally supposed to see him share the cage with Top 15 stalwart Brad Tavares, then Georgian powerhouse Roman Dolidze.
Everything seems to be clicking for Allen at this moment, as he flashed his slick submission game in catching Roberson in a straight ankle lock in April before putting his striking skills and overall sharpness on display in his victory over the previously unbeaten Soriano in July. With another full camp under the tutelage of Henri Hooft and the team at Sanford under his belt, the best could still be yet to come for the talented youngster from “The Bayou State.”
Manel Kape
There was a lot of hype and excitement surrounding Manel Kape’s arrival in the UFC at the start of the year, but unfortunately for the 28-year-old flyweight, things got off to a rocky start.
Kape, who rose to prominence under the Rizin Fighting Federation banner in Japan, dropped narrow decisions to Alexandre Pantoja and Matheus Nicolau in his first two appearances inside the Octagon. While both were close fights, Kape displayed a lack of urgency and little of the aggressive, attacking style that made his joining the UFC roster such an interesting story at the start of the year.
