Arnold Allen Defeats Giga Chikadze at UFC 304
Arnold Allen returned to the win column at UFC 304 by defeating Giga Chikadze at Co-op Live in Manchester. The featherweight bout opened the main card on the July 27, 2024, event schedule, and all three judges awarded Allen a 29–28 decision after fifteen minutes.
A necessary response to consecutive defeats
Allen began his UFC career with ten straight victories before losing to Max Holloway and Movsar Evloev. Those setbacks made the Chikadze matchup especially important: another defeat would have extended a difficult stretch, while a win would restore momentum against an experienced featherweight.
Chikadze offered a recognizable challenge through his striking and varied kicking attacks. The contest gave Allen an opportunity to demonstrate how he could solve that problem in front of a British crowd. The result mattered because of the opponent and Allen’s recent form, not simply because it took place at home.
Chikadze starts well; Allen grows into the fight
Chikadze used his kicks effectively early. Allen dealt with those attacks and became more successful as the contest progressed, doing damage in the second round and landing meaningful offense in the third. The official UFC report describes a striking contest in which Allen improved over time.
Allen’s win came from his work across the scored rounds. The unanimous 29–28 totals show that the judges agreed on a narrow overall margin; they do not describe a one-sided fifteen-minute domination.
Reading the performance carefully
Against a dangerous kicker, distance changes the choices available to both fighters. Remaining outside can allow kicks to develop, while closing space introduces punching exchanges and defensive risks. Allen’s increasing success illustrates the value of adapting within a bout rather than expecting the opening approach to decide everything.
The Georgian remained competitive enough for the final scores to be close. Allen nevertheless did the work required to win, showing that a disciplined decision can carry substantial importance even without a finish.
A return to momentum, not a guaranteed title shot
The victory ended Allen’s two-fight losing run and moved his professional record to 20–3 at the time. It gave him a positive result against a respected divisional opponent after two difficult assignments.
For Chikadze, the decision was a setback in his effort to build another winning sequence. For Allen, it restored a clearer path forward without making any specific future booking certain. UFC 304’s opening main-card bout is best remembered as a measured return to form: an early challenge, improved effectiveness as the fight developed, and agreement from all three judges at the end.
Sources
- UFC pre-event interview with Arnold Allen
- UFC 304 official Allen–Chikadze fight report
- UFC 304 official judges’ scorecards
- UFC retrospective on Allen’s winning run and UFC 304 return to form
Tags
MMA, Combat Sports
