Katlyn Chookagian was five minutes away from her first professional MMA loss, and she and her coach Mark Henry knew it as the New Jersey bantamweight rose from her stool for the third round of her UFC 205 bout against Liz Carmouche.

“All right, you lost those first two rounds,” Henry said. “You need a knockout to win.”

Chookagian had her doubts.

“I was thinking, ‘Well, that’s not gonna happen; I don’t have knockout power, so I’m gonna have to try and get a submission or TKO.’”

Then she landed a head kick on Carmouche and almost ended the November fight, only to see the former world title challenger weather the subsequent storm and pull out a split decision win. Chookagian had her first loss in nine fights, but she gained a lot in Madison Square Garden that night.

“After that fight, it was my first loss in MMA, but I’ve done boxing and kickboxing and jiu-jitsu, and I’ve lost, so I know what that feels like and I know what it’s like to come back,” she said. “And if anything, even though it was a loss, I think that fight gave me more confidence and made me become more eager to get back in there again.”

The confidence comes from a logical place. In only her second UFC bout, the 28-year-old nearly defeated a top 10 bantamweight, but more notable is that the former flyweight proved to herself that she wasn’t too small to compete with the best 135-pounders in the world.

“Once I started in the UFC, that’s when I moved up a weight class and I had that in the back of my head that these girls are all strong, they’re all veterans, and I think I put them on a pedestal and put myself down a little bit,” she admits. “My coaches would always say how good I am, but I thought I’m the only girl around here, so they don’t really have other girls to compare it to. I always came up with excuses and almost didn’t believe them as much. After that fight, I realized that even though I lost, my coaches are right.”

But what about that whole knockout power thing? Henry set her straight on that one with a little reminder after the fight.

“I told Mark, ‘Well at least now I have confidence that I have knockout power.’ And he said, ‘What are you talking about? In the last year, there were three guys in sparring that you knocked out with head kicks.’ Oh yeah, I guess you’re right. (Laughs) So it was something that I’ve always had, but I never really had the confidence in it.”

Confidence can make a good fighter great and make a technical fighter dangerous. With those tools in hand, Chookagian was eager to get back to business as soon as possible. A fight with Mexico’s Irene Aldana was proposed for February’s Halifax card, but Aldana was still recovering from an injury. Chookagian pushed for the bout to remain intact, and it is, with the two standup specialists slated to meet on the UFC 210 card in Buffalo on April 8. If any fight has the potential to steal Fight of the Night honors from the bigger names competing that night, it’s this one. And Chookagian knows it.

“Any fight gets me excited,” she laughs. “After my last fight, I had no injuries and I was so eager to get back in there. But stylistically, this is a really fun fight. I’m excited because we’ll both be able to showcase our skills.”

On paper, Chookagian and Aldana match up perfectly, as they’re both strikers with busy styles that will leave little room for a break. Chookagian has been a fan of Aldana since she was competing in Invicta FC, and while both are coming off losses, this is a fight that can make the world forget those defeats in a hurry. And with the bantamweight division being home to a series of seasoned vets, this fight will showcase the next generation of the weight class in style and kick off a move up the ladder for the winner. Chookagian is planning to be the one getting her hand raised next month.

“I’ve always had it in my head that the goal was to win the title and I just wasn’t in it to say that I was in the UFC,” she said. “I’m in it to make a run for the title, and I’m getting better with each fight, where some girls have already peaked. I’m still new in the sport and I’m hanging in there with the top of the division, so I’m only more confident that my goal of becoming a champ will happen.”

Following a 2012 loss to Vitor Belfort that saw him come in at 197 pounds for a middleweight bout, Anthony “Rumble” Johnson had hit rock bottom, at least professionally. But on the flight home from Brazil, Johnson got a little advice from his trainer Henri Hooft that went a long way.

“I had just come over from the Netherlands to America,” Hooft recalled. “I was like, ‘Why are you cutting so much weight?’ And after the Vitor Belfort fight, we had a conversation on the airplane on the way back. I said ‘Go to a higher weight class.’”

A former pro kickboxer, Hooft never subscribed to the notion that “bigger is better.”

“I know it’s a little bit different, but in kickboxing we don’t really cut weight,” he said. “We just fight each other, and if you’re bigger, it doesn’t mean you’re better than me and that you can beat me. You can be very strong, but if you can’t hit me, then you have a problem. So it’s not always an advantage to be so much bigger.”

Johnson, a former welterweight whose first run in the UFC came to an end with the Belfort fight, took Hooft’s words to heart. Twelve wins and a little over five years later, Johnson is not only back in the UFC, but he’s one victory on April 8 away from becoming a world champion should he defeat light heavyweight titleholder Daniel Cormier in the main event of UFC 210.

What a long, strange trip it’s been, and now it’s on the verge of something many wouldn’t have expected back in 2012.

“He deserves (the title),” Hooft said of Johnson. “He put a lot of effort in, he always shows up and he’s a real student of the game and a real good guy. He will be a good champion too and will be representing the UFC very well. But for me, it’s also personal. For so many years working together, we became close, and it’s always nice to have a belt.”

Hooft laughs, noting that on Monday morning he ran 17 UFC and four Bellator fighters through their paces in South Florida, all chasing gold for themselves.

“Then you see another coach that has one fighter and he wins the title,” he laughs.

“Rumble” is next up though, and he’s got as good a shot as anyone to take the belt, even though he lost to Cormier in their first fight in May 2015. In that bout, Johnson, three fights and three wins into his second UFC run, drilled Cormier and dropped him early, only to get submitted in round three. It was a disappointing night, but one that taught him a lot.

“The last fight, as AJ explained a bit, there was a lot of stuff going on,” Hooft said. “The main event, first time for the title, and he also rushed in a little bit when he had DC hurt because DC is not a guy you knock out like that. (Cormier) fought all these heavyweights and is a tough guy who never got knocked out, so it was all a bit of a learning lesson, and hopefully this time around he’ll be a little bit more patient and will be better.”

Since the defeat, the 33-year-old Georgia native has looked unstoppable thanks to a trio of knockout wins over Jimi Manuwa, Ryan Bader and Glover Teixeira, making him a no-brainer for another shot at the belt. But Hooft wants to make sure his charge approaches this as just another fight.

“I try to make it as normal as possible for him,” he said. “Of course it’s a title fight, it’s for the belt, and that can get to you when you finally fight for the belt, but he’s a really competitive, strong guy. He wanted to wait for DC, he wanted the fight, so now he wants to show that he got what he really wanted.”

Who will go to hell & back for the LHW strap? @DC_MMA & @Anthony_Rumble will go at it again at #UFC210 pic.twitter.com/Q2cRFuQ0Qm

— UFC (@ufc) March 19, 2017

But how do things change the second time around? Cormier is an Olympic wrestler and Johnson is a knockout artist of the highest order. So the game plans should remain as they were in the first bout, and Hooft doesn’t dispute that.

“It’s all about the guy who really wants it the most,” he said. “Both of these guys are a long time in the game, and they also know how each other fights. There’s no real secret. Anthony, of course, is working on some stuff, but he won’t be an Olympic wrestler in a couple of months and DC won’t be a striker like Anthony. So it’s who wants it more the second time around.”

Will it be Hooft’s guy? He believes it will be, and it’s not just trainer-speak, because if you know anything about the Netherlands native, he will give it to you straight. That goes for breaking down the fight, being in the gym getting ready for it, or in the Octagon between rounds. The way he sees it, the truth always goes a long way.

“That’s one of the things that’s in my heritage because I’m Dutch,” he laughs. “We’re really straightforward and sometimes people don’t want to hear the truth. But especially if you’re fighting, you’d better listen to what your corner says to do. He knows what I want to see from him and I know what I want to see from him.”

Yet eventually, a trainer has no control and has to trust that his fighter will follow the game plan and get the job done.

“I had a lot of fights myself so I know how it is,” he said. “Some fights you’re in there, some fights you’re not. And if you’re not in there, sometimes your coach can do that extra thing to pull you back in there. But most of the time, when the bell goes, you’re on your own. That’s the thing about fighting. It’s a very lonely thing. You train with your team, you have coaches around you, but when the bell goes, it’s your own thing and you need to deal with the stuff you need to deal with. And I think Anthony did that most of the time in the DC fight. I told him, ‘You fight ten times and you beat nine guys, you’re not doing so bad. You lost to a champion.’ Hopefully, this time we can turn it around.”

If they do, the plane ride back to Florida will look a lot different than it did in 2012.

If you’re at all like me – and since you’re reading a feature written by me on the UFC website, I’m guessing we have some things in common – you’ve probably pondered aloud how a certain fighter isn’t ranked in their respective division a couple hundred times over the last few years.

It happened two weeks ago, when Kevin Lee strolled into the cage to take on Francisco Trinaldo, brandishing a three-fight winning streak and seven wins in his eight appearances since losing a decision to Al Iaquinta in his short-notice debut three years ago.

Of course, wondering about one fighter is often the start of an adventure down the rabbit hole as you trace histories trying to determine how Fighter A is ranked, but Fighter B isn’t, even though the former lost to the latter, like in the case of Lee and TUF: Brazil winner Leo Santos, who is 5-0-1 in the Octagon, but an afterthought in the lightweight rankings and only an honorable mention in this collection of the top unranked talent on the UFC roster.

And no, I won’t be playing games and including the likes of Georges St-Pierre, Nick Diaz and Cris Cyborg in this squad, even though all three cannot currently be found in the rankings for one reason or another.

But remember: exercises like this are subjective and personal, so my list may not look the same as your list, but that’s because this is my list; leave yours in the comment section so we can compare later.

This is The 10: The Top Unranked Talent in the UFC.

(Note: these are in order of division, not a hierarchy)

Angela Hill
Sometimes people let results and records carry too much weight in their assessment of fighters and Hill being unranked in the strawweight division is one of those instances.

Though she’s just 1-3 in the Octgaon, Hill’s first two losses came against Top 5 opponents in the third and fourth fights of her MMA career, while her most recent setback was a gutsy decision loss to the woman scheduled to challenge for the strawweight title at UFC 211, Jessica Andrade. In between, “Overkill” won four straight, claiming gold under the Invicta FC banner and successfully defending it once before being called back up to the big leagues.

Given the quality of competition she’s faced, the former TUF 20 contestant should be counted amongst the 15 best fighters in the women’s 115-pound division.

Lauren Murphy
Another fighter with a 1-3 mark in the Octagon and a championship history with Invicta FC, Murphy could make a case for being 4-0 in the UFC without too much effort as each of her three losses have come in nail-biters that went down to the wire with Sara McMann, Liz Carmouche and Katlyn Chookagian.

In each of those fights, every judge turned in a 29-28 scorecard, which means that a different point of view here or a focus on damage over position there and the 2-1 tallies that fell against the gritty Alaskan could have gone the other way. If they did, Murphy’s standing in the women’s bantamweight ranks is entirely different.

As it stands, she’s on the outside of the Top 15 looking in, but remains a nightmare matchup for just about anybody and someone capable of cracking the rankings at any time.

Magomed Bibulatov
While I didn’t spike the list by adding GSP, Diaz and Cyborg into the group, the addition of Bibulatov is a little dicey since the 28-year-old flyweight hasn’t actually competed in the UFC yet.

But here’s the thing: I watch a lot of fights and I assure you that Bibulatov is one of the 15 best flyweights on the roster. Trust me on this one.

The former World Series of Fighting champ makes his debut at UFC 210 in Buffalo against Jenel Lausa and while it’s not the kind of big name matchup that is going to make anyone immediately sit up and take notice, a win for Bibulatov will push him to 14-0 overall and, given the wide open nature of the flyweight division, it shouldn’t take too long for “Gladiator” to make good on my decision to include him on this list.

Brett Johns
The first Welshman to get a win in the UFC, Johns has a perfect 13-0 record and a lengthy future as a contender in the bantamweight division in front of him; he just hasn’t gotten the chance to prove the latter as of yet.

Scheduled to compete last weekend in London, the former Titan FC titleholder was scratched from the card early Saturday morning due to his opponent Ian Entwistle being declared unfit to compete after missing weight. The bout against the leg lock specialist was meant to be the 25-year-old’s sophomore appearance, but with those plans dashed, hopefully the UFC gets him back onto a fight card again in the near future.

With good size for the division and a strong grappling-based approach, “The Pikey” could be a player in the bantamweight ranks in the near future.

Andre Fili
The Team Alpha Male talent is a victim of there being too much damn talent in the featherweight division because after showing up on short notice and dominating Hacran Dias – who was ranked No. 11 at the time – Fili should probably be included in the Top 15, but who are you going to kick out?

One of the other issues working against Fili is the “what have you done for me lately” nature of the rankings, where recent performance tends to outweigh overall merit when votes are being cast.

That being said, a return to action against an established foe and another good win should give the 26-year-old who fights for his fellow “outcasts and underdogs” a shot at breaking into the rankings.

Will Brooks
In truth, I probably could have built this entire list from fighters in the lightweight division because that’s how stacked the 155-pound ranks are these days.

Brooks is one of a handful of guys knocking on the door, having just recently been bounced from the rankings as others have competed and won more recently. After popping a rib and losing to Alex Oliveira back in the fall, “Ill Will” returns to action next month in Buffalo against Charles Oliveira in a tough fight that will again serve as a litmus test for the American Top Team standout.

If he can turn in a dominant effort against the always game “Do Bronx,” the UFC newcomer could find his way back into the Top 15, unless one of the other lightweights below beat him to it.

Rustam Khabilov
A couple years back, Khabilov was stationed inside the Top 10 and had people wondering if he was going to follow the path to the top blazed by Khabib Nurmagomedov.

He fought once in 2014 and once in 2015, losing both contests, which shuffled him into the shadows in the highly competitive division, but last year, Khabilov returned to making regular appearances in the Octagon and collected four victories, leaving him alongside Brooks on the doorstep of the Top 15.

I would say that another win or two would guarantee him a place in the rankings, but Francisco Trinaldo needed seven consecutive victories to sneak into the lower third of the list, so who knows? What I do know is that it wouldn’t surprise me to see Khabilov manhandle a couple more lightweights in 2017 and leave people wondering, “Why did we forget about him?”

Jim Miller
If I’m being completely honest, I find the fact that Miller isn’t ranked at lightweight laughable.

Here’s a guy who has been in the UFC for nearly nine years and fought one of the toughest schedules you’re ever going to see, and while he’s come out on the wrong side of the results a bunch of times, the totality of his resume should make it abundantly clear that he’s one of the best 155-pound fighters in the world.

The funny thing is that even if Miller doesn’t get the “lifetime achievement” look, his 2016 campaign ended with a three-fight winning streak and he just turned in a gutsy effort in defeat against Dustin Poirier, who currently sits at No. 9 in the division.

Alex Oliveira
The Brazilian “Cowboy” is a tough case because he’s bounced around between lightweight and welterweight throughout his UFC run and having no fixed address makes it hard to slot him into the rankings.

That being said, he seems to have made welterweight his home going forward, he’s 6-2 with one no contest in nine UFC appearances, and outside of losing his short-notice debut, the only guy to beat him is the original “Cowboy,” Donald Cerrone.

Oliveira looked terrific against Tim Means a couple weekends ago in Brazil and has the potential to become a factor in the welterweight division going forward. With the lower third of the rankings in a state of flux, the right matchup and a strong performance could see the Top 15 counting another “Cowboy” in its midst before too long.

Dan Kelly
With a 6-1 record in the UFC and four straight victories, I’m not sure what else Kelly needs to do to earn a place in the Top 15.

There is nothing flashy about the four-time Olympian’s approach in the cage and that’s being generous, but it’s hard to argue with his results and, at the end of the day, the rankings should be a reflection of performance, not popularity or anything else and Kelly’s had nothing but positive results of late.

Here’s a question: if Rashad Evans had beaten everyone’s favorite Aussie with a dad bod at UFC 209, would the former light heavyweight champion have snuck his way into the Top 15 at middleweight?

My guess is that he would have and that makes Kelly’s exclusion all the more disappointing.

Think you know how the next fight card will play out? Play UFC Pick ‘Em

Jimi Manuwa capped off an action-packed night in London with a highlight reel finish over Corey Anderson to earn his second straight knockout victory in the UFC.

Manuwa is best known for his massive power on the feet, and the London native did not disappoint after stalking Anderson around the Octagon for the majority of the first round, just waiting to find an opening for his punches.

The beginning of the end came after Manuwa clipped Anderson with a short punch that dropped the former Ultimate Fighter winner to his knee for a brief moment, but that gave the 37-year-old knockout artist all the confidence he needed to put the fight away.

Manuwa continued to press forward before unleashing a hellish left hand that connected flush and sent Anderson to the floor in a heap before the referee rushed in to stop the fight at just 3:05 of the opening round.

#UFCLondon delivered on #UFCFIGHTPASS!

Watch the replay anytime: https://t.co/dJvBEzfQOm pic.twitter.com/MOeZVsFRt7

— UFC Fight Pass (@UFCFightPass) March 18, 2017

Going into the night, Manuwa was one of the biggest favorites on the card according to fantasy players, with 76 percent picking him to win in the main event and a whopping 83 percent selecting him to get the job done by knockout. Manuwa certainly did his part with a nasty first-round finish to notch his second win in a row and fifth victory in the UFC by way of knockout.

In the co-main event, Gunnar Nelson looked better than ever as he nearly knocked out Alan Jouban on the feet before the grappling ace finished the fight with a guillotine choke on the ground. Nelson was another heavy favorite, with 70 percent of fantasy players picking him against Jouban and another 65 percent saying he would win by submission.

Nelson proved those fantasy players correct, although he very nearly put a stop to the fight with strikes before wrapping up another submission victory on the ground.

While the main and co-main events both ended with the favorites getting wins, Marlon Vera pulled off one of the biggest upsets of the night after he finished local favorite Brad Pickett with a stunning head kick knockout in the third round of their bantamweight matchup on Saturday. Vera accepted the fight on just a week’s notice, which resulted in only 22 percent of fantasy players picking him to get the win. Still, Vera came through with his biggest win to date while Pickett called it a career while saying an emotional goodbye to his hometown crowd in London.

Another massive upset kicked off the main card as Arnold Allen pulled off a decision victory over Makwan Amirkhani after only 29 percent of fantasy players picked him to win.

The featured fight on the prelim portion of the card once again swung the pendulum back towards the favorites with Joe Duffy earning a unanimous decision win over Reza Madadi. Duffy was an overwhelming favorite, with 88 percent of fantasy players picking him to win, although he did end up going to a decision after 40 percent of players said he would finish the fight by submission.

Heavyweight slugger Tim Johnson also came through with a win on Saturday over Daniel Omielanczuk after 64 percent of fantasy players picked the American, while Marc Diakiese pulled off one of the most memorable knockouts in recent memory, a one-punch finish over Teemu Packalen after an overwhelming majority of players selected him going into the night. And with 89 percent of fantasy players in her corner, second-time UFC fighter Lina Lansberg also got a very controversial win over newcomer Lucie Pudilova in a three-round battle that kicked off the event.

As for the underdogs on the card, Leon Edwards pulled off one of the bigger upsets after just 35 percent of fantasy players picked him to get the win over Vicente Luque, who entered the fight with four straight wins, all by knockout or submission. Still, Edwards defied the odds by getting a win by decision.

Francimar Barroso also earned a decision win in a grudge match with Darren Stewart after just 27 percent of players picked him.

All told, according to the picks by fantasy players for UFC Fight Night in London, six favorites came away victorious while five underdogs made waves by pulling off upsets.

Relive all the excitement – watch Fight Night replay on UFC FIGHT PASS

LONDON

On a night built for Britain featuring many of its favorite sons, the biggest and baddest of them all delivered in a big way in the main event.

Jimi Manuwa needed just one perfectly placed left hook on the chin of Corey Anderson to end the night in dynamite fashion.

“Lions eat first. Left hand is always the shot. One shot, one kill,” Manuwa said.

Corey Anderson fell to 10-3 and suffered his third loss inside the Octagon. The No. 6-ranked light heavyweight has had some big moments but still may need some more time before he faces the elite of the division.

These are the Fight Night London Talking Points.

What’s next for the lion who roared in London?

Manuwa was quick to reveal his desire to face the winner of next month’s monster UFC 210 main event between light heavyweight champion Daniel Cormier and No. 1 contender Anthony Johnson.

For Manuwa, who improved to 6-2 in the UFC, that elusive title shot might be in the cards as the division takes shape later in 2017 around the return of Jon Jones. If not the title shot, Manuwa has unfinished business with “Rumble” and the always-improving power puncher seems hungry for vengeance.

“That was one of the great moments for me, getting a knockout in front of my home crowd in London,” Manuwa said. “British fighters are working really hard at the moment and there (was) a lot of great British talent on the card tonight. It just shows that we are a force to be reckoned with. I think it’s only right that we have another British champion.“

Welterweights beware – Gunni is coming

The always stoic-looking Gunnar Nelson seemed to be in on a secret before his co-main event showdown with Alan Jouban. He was calm, as he usually is, but maintained a steady confidence that permeated from his icy pre-fight glare.

Then Nelson came out and mauled Jouban in the first round before submitting him in the opening seconds of the second frame, reminding everyone just how dominant the Icelandic phenom can be at the top of his game.

That’s two wins in a row for Nelson, who is ranked No. 9 at 170 pounds.

What’s next for Nelson?

“I will go home and spend time with my family and be with my son,” he said. “I want to go home, start training again and keep on improving. Hopefully I can have two more fights this year and get another good opponent, one of the top guys.“

Legacy will live on for London’s Pickett

It wasn’t the storybook ending he coveted, but Brad “One Punch” Pickett leaves the UFC as one of the most revered bantamweights in the history of mixed martial arts.

Pickett and Dominick Cruz are the only two fighters to ever beat pound-for-pound No. 1 Demetrious Johnson.

With a reputation for never being in a boring fight, Pickett entertained throughout his career and all the way up to the very end.

Thanks, Brad. Cheers.

I left it all in the Octagon tonight

Thanks everyone for the support over the years it has… https://t.co/4qQagMBbq4

— Brad Pickett (@One_Punch) March 19, 2017

Next European star born in London?

Marc Diakiese made a bold prediction at Ultimate Media Day ahead of his third UFC bout: a first-round spinning head kick knockout.

It didn’t end up coming to fruition, but the overhand right that sent Teemu Packalen down to the mat gave Diakiese the first-round finish he was seeking, and it came in just 30 seconds.

What a KO!! @Marc_Diakiese is the real deal!! #UFCLondon pic.twitter.com/sL1PAW6e97

— #UFCLondon (@UFCEurope) March 19, 2017

Diakiese’s athleticism is jaw-dropping to witness. He threw a few spin kicks before the KO that had the British home crowd on the edge of its collective seat.

UFC president Dana White has said that some athletes just have the “it factor.” Diakiese, with his bright red mohawk, signature smile and intoxicating charisma, fits the bill.

The next step up the ladder for “The Bonecrusher” may be a big jump, but he believes he’s ready.

„I’ve been saying it all week and I’ll say it again. That was easy work,” he said. “I’m one of the best and I will keep proving it. I want to be fighting on the main card next. I want to be fighting bigger names. Whoever is next, I will be ready.“

Matt Parrino is a digital producer and writer for UFC.com. Follow him on Twitter at @MattParrinoUFC

Relive all the excitement – watch Fight Night replay on UFC FIGHT PASS

MANUWA VS ANDERSON

Add another one to the poster collection for light heavyweight contender Jimi Manuwa, as he scored a one punch first round knockout of Corey Anderson in Saturday’s UFC FIGHT NIGHT main event at the O2 Arena in London.

„The left hook is always the shot,“ said London’s Manuwa. „One shot, one kill.“

The No. 6-ranked Anderson set a furious pace early, and even when he came up short on takedowns, he stayed busy. In response, Manuwa calmly stalked his foe, and when Anderson circled off the fence, a single left hook ended matters, with Manuwa walking away as referee Leon Robert’s halted the bout at the 3:05 mark.

With the win, the No. 4-ranked Manuwa improves to 17-2; Anderson falls to 10-3.

NELSON VS JOUBAN

In the UFC Fight Night co-main event, Alan Jouban tried to do all the right things to counter the unorthodox attack of fellow welterweight standout Gunnar Nelson, but the MMA wizard from Iceland refused to be figured out, as he scored a second-round submission victory.

Jouban was using a solid stick and move strategy as the fight began, but Nelson kept steady pressure on, eventually getting his foe to the mat with a little over two minutes left in the opening round. From there, he moved to the mount but was unable to finish the Louisiana native.

In the second, Jouban came out aggressively and scored well with some punches before a straight right staggered him. Nelson immediately dragged him to the mat and the guillotine choke finish came moments later at the 46-second mark, improving Nelson’s record to 16-2-1. Jouban falls to 15-5.

ALLEN VS AMIRKHANI

One of the most highly anticipated bouts on Saturday’s event was the main card opener between featherweight prospects Arnold Allen and Makwan Amirkhani, and the two lived up to the hype with a fast-paced technical battle won by Allen via split decision.

Scores were 30-27 twice and 28-29 for England’s Allen, now 12-1; Finland’s Amirkhani falls to 13-3.

Amirkhani promised a fast finish, and if landed the flying knee he opened the fight with, he might have gotten it, but Allen avoided the shot and the back and forth scrap commenced.

Featuring scrambles, submission attempts and plenty of twists and turns, the fight saw Amirkhani with plenty of chances to take over the fight, but Allen always had an answer for his foe’s attacks, leading him to a close, but well-earned victory.