MMA Preview – Arnold Allen vs Sodiq Yusuff at UFC Vegas 23
ARNOLD ALLEN VS SODIQ YUSUFF FACTS
When is UFC Vegas 23? Saturday 10th April, 2021 - 18:00 start (UK)
Where is UFC Vegas 23? UFC APEX, Enterprise, Nevada (US)
Where can I get tickets for UFC Vegas 23? Click here for the latest ticket information for UFC events
What channel is UFC Vegas 23 on? BT Sport 3
Where can I stream UFC Vegas 23? BT Sport subscribers can stream the fight online via the BT Sport website
For viewers in the United States, the event will be shown live on ESPN+ and you can sign up for access as part of a Disney Bundle here!
ARNOLD ALLEN VS SODIQ YUSUFF LOWDOWN
We have not seen as much of Arnold Allen (16-1) as we would like only fighting once a year since his UFC debut bar 2019 where he got two fights in. Injuries and opponents pulling out have restricted him to seven UFC appearances since 2015 but he is still undefeated on the big stage. After his comeback win and late submission over Mads Burnell he has won three unanimous decisions in a row over Jordan Rinaldi, Gilbert Melendez and Nik Lentz to stretch the streak to nine.
Sodiq Yusuff (11-1) is also steaming up the featherweight ranks riding his own six-fight win streak and yet to taste defeat in the UFC. His sole loss was a knockout in 2017 to Luis Gomez, but after a unanimous decision over Mike Davis on the Contender Series, he has gone on to win all four of his UFC outings with wins over Suman Mokhtarian (TKO), Sheymon Moraes (unanimous decision), Gabriel Benitez (TKO) and Andre Fili (unanimous decision).
ARNOLD ALLEN VS SODIQ YUSUFF PREDICTION
This is a quality match-up and it will both be their toughest test to date. They are very similar physically and well-rounded. Arnold is the better all-round grappler but Yusuff is more explosive.
The battle will start on the feet where Yusuff will look to be the aggressor and use his power to hurt Allen, but he has good defence (67%) and he will be very hard to outland in his southpaw stance. The striking contest will be very even and Allen will have to mix in his grappling to win the rounds.
Allen is a dangerous striker himself with speed and Yussuf can also be hit as we saw in his fights with Benitez and Fili so Arnold will be confident everywhere, but he has to respect his power.
This is a very tough fight to call, so Arnold is the value bet as the underdog especially if he can land some takedowns, but we are going to back Yusuff who has proven himself against better opposition.
Prediction: Yusuff via Decision
Value Bet: Allen via Decision
