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“Blessed” picked off another contender in the UFC on ESPN 44 headliner on Saturday, outstriking Arnold Allen for five rounds to bring an end to the Englishman’s 10-fight promotional winning streak. Not only did Holloway deny Allen a potential spot atop the featherweight contender’s queue, but he also has a strong claim to the No. 2 ranking in Sherdog’s divisional poll. Ultimately, however, Holloway stays put at third behind Volkanovski and Patricio Freire.
Elsewhere, Olivier Aubin-Mercier made a strong statement as he began his bid to become a back-to-back Professional Fighters League lightweight champion, as he shut down prized free-agent acquisition Shane Burgos over three rounds in the league’s third regular season card on Friday. Aubin-Mercier has won seven straight contests since parting ways with the UFC in 2019, and his stock continues to rise in the lightweight rankings, as he checks in at No. 12 in the latest 155-pound lineup.
Finally, Brandon Royval won his third straight bout at “UFC Kansas City,” authoring an exquisite finish of fellow Top 10 flyweight Matheus Nicolau in the opening stanza of their preliminary matchup. The victory keeps Royval at No. 6 in the 125-pound rankings and on the short list of most exciting fighters in the Las Vegas-based promotion.
Note: Previous rankings listed in brackets.
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