Arnold Allen believes No.3 Yair Rodriguez will defeat No.2 Brian Ortega in the main event of UFC Long Island on Saturday.
Although Ortega is the betting favorite, Allen believes Ortega won’t be able to take Rodriguez down, and on their feet, Rodriguez will be able to piece up Ortega and get the win. Coming off a TKO win over Dan Hooker in March, Allen is looking to his next fight, which the outcome of Ortega vs Rodriguez could determine. He will surely be paying close attention to this weekend’s main event.
Arnold Allen’s Prediction for Ortega vs Rodriguez at UFC Long Island
“I think Yair wins it,” Allen said on Michael Bisping’s Believe You Me podcast. “I think he wins it. I don’t think Brian’s going to be able to take him down, and I definitely don’t think he’s going to be able to strike with him – maybe catch onto a guillotine (choke) like he does, maybe even pull guard. I don’t know. I just don’t see him winning on the feet against Yair. He’s got sort of that flat-footed boxing style where if you shoot on him, it’s almost worse for you.”
The UFC returns to Long Island for a stacked card headlined by two of the featherweight division's finest. Main card airs live on @ABCNetwork at 2pm ET/11am PT.
Let's break down the entire #UFCLongIsland fight card:https://t.co/tCP1BGp060
— UFC News (@UFCNews) July 11, 2022
If Allen is correct and Rodriguez defeats Ortega on Saturday, it is expected the Mexican will get the next featherweight title shot. That would leave Josh Emmett and Ortega as potential upcoming opponents for Allen, fighting up in the ranks with a chance to reclaim his top-five spot.
Arnold Allen Wants to Fight Upwards
“Everyone wants to fight upwards, don’t they? On a win streak, and that’s the goal,” Allen said. “That is the goal: to fight upwards. I’m not too fussed who it is. I want to be the best, so you’ve got to beat the best guys.”
Allen (18-1) is coming off the TKO win over Hooker that extended his win streak to 11, including his 9-0 record in the UFC. In the Las Vegas-based promotion he also has notable wins over Sodiq Yusuff, Gilbert Melendez, Mads Burnell, and Makwan Amirkhani.
