MMA Preview – Arnold Allen vs Nik Lentz at UFC Fight Night 166
THE FACTS
When is UFC Fight Night 166? Saturday 25th January, 2020 - 23:00 start (UK)
Where is UFC Fight Night 166? PNC Arena, Raleigh, North Carolina
What channel is UFC Fight Night 166 on? BT Sport 2
Where can I stream UFC Fight Night 166? 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+ which can you sign up to here!
Are tickets still available for UFC Fight Night 166? https://www.ufc.com/tickets
THE STATISTICS
THE LOWDOWN
Arnold Allen and Nik Lentz have been paired up less than two weeks out of UFC Fight Night 166 as both their opponents pulled out of their fights.
Josh Emmett was the man lined up for Allen which would have been the biggest fight of his career. Emmett is on the rise and a top 10 ranked opponent, so it is a shame Allen has been deprived of this bout but equally grateful that a tough veteran is available as he hopes to extend his impressive eight-fight winning streak.
Lentz was originally scheduled to fight Nad Narimani which would have been a great scrap as well, but this is a better fight with more to gain. Lentz is also coming off a loss in his trilogy fight with Charles Oliveira and desperate to get back to winning ways.
THE PREDICTION
Despite the last-minute pairing, this should be a very competitive scrap. Allen has rapidly evolved into an incredibly well-rounded fighter and under the tutelage of the coaches at Tristar, we should expect him to arrive an even better version of himself.
Lentz has had 23 UFC fights and will use all of that experience to subdue Allen. He will look to leverage his wrestling to tie up the young Brit and wear him down and grind out the win. However, Allen is a very strong grappler himself and no doubt will be prepared for the takedown attempts of Lentz. His stand-up also gets more threatening with every fight and he should have the tools to pick up his seventh UFC win.
Winner: Allen via Decision
Striking and grappling stats sourced via FightMetric.
