SUMMARY
- Movsar Evloev bagged a controversial win against Arnold Allen to continue his undefeated streak.
- Allen's knee strikes on Evloev were deemed illegal by the referee but Joe Rogan protested that decision.
The action-packed UFC 297 event has been marred with controversy in the first match of the main card between Movsar Evloev and Arnold Allen. The featherweight bout was set to be a close one considering the solid record amassed by the fighters. Before entering the Octagon tonight, Evloev was 18-0 and Allen was 19-3 in pro-MMA. In the final round, knees struck by Allen have divided the MMA world, but Joe Rogan had a clear stance.
Wow Arnold Allen got done dirty here
ALL legal knees #UFC297 pic.twitter.com/3oHt3r1UGC
— OOC MMA (@oocmma) January 21, 2024
The first round was too close to call as both fighters were in on it almost equally. In the second round, Evloev struck a strong combination to injure Allen’s left eye area. Allen was taken aback internally, however, he recovered well during the break before the third round.
Evloev had out-wrestled Allen throughout the match but Allen looked like a man on a mission in the final round. The Englishman stuffed Evloev’s takedown attempts and landed a trio of seemingly legal knees. As Allen would land his knees, Evloev’s hand elevated off the ground. This aligns with the right side of the rules of an illegal grounded knee. However, referee Marc Goddard called a timeout and warned Allen.
29-28
29-28
29-28Movsar Evloev scores a unanimous decision victory 👏#UFC297 | Live on TNT Sports & discovery+ pic.twitter.com/4jpMlQu58l
— UFC on TNT Sports (@ufcontnt) January 21, 2024
The #4 ranked UFC featherweight continued his pressure after the timeout but could not get the finish. The match went to a decision and Evloev, the #3 ranked UFC Featherweight, pulled off a unanimous decision win with all three judges scoring the fight 29-28.
Joe Rogan believes Arnold Allen’s knee strikes on Movsar Evloev were ‘totally legitimate’
UFC commentator Joe Rogan has not traveled to Canada with the company for UFC 297. He was joined by Eddie Bravo, Joey Diaz, and Brendan Schaub for his JRE Fight Companion livestream. During the live stream, Rogan and his guests give their live opinions on the fights.
After watching the timeout called by the referee, Rogan was extremely disappointed. According to the JRE host, there was nothing illegal about the knees. He said, “That’s legit, that’s legit. He lifts his hands up. 100% legit. He is lifting him up to land the knee, that’s totally legal.”
Further, Rogan claimed, “I think he did nothing wrong. I think he did what you’re supposed to do. Every knee was landed with your hand off the mat. Lifted him up for every knee. It’s totally legitimate.”
According to Rogan, the referee stole Allen’s opportunity to capitalize on the knees and look for a finish. The timeout gave enough time for Evloev to recover and avoid the finish.
Fans point out the inconsistency in UFC’s dealings with illegal knees
On September 16, 2023, UFC Flyweight champion Alexa Grasso defended her title against Valentina Shevchenko. Fans have pointed out that Grasso used a similar technique to strike Shevchenko with her knees. In the fourth round of the match, Grasso struck Shevchenko with multiple knees on the head while the latter’s palms were questionably on and off the ground.
Same exact knees. Not one peep about it. It’s the constant inconsistency. Arnold Allen won that fight. Wrestling with no damage should not have a heavy weight in scoring. mosvar did nothing round 1. Easy round 3 win for Allen. pic.twitter.com/ku6Fn65pD8
— Thomas Thomas (@ThomasThom38740) January 21, 2024
A similar scenario took place between Evloev and Allen. However, the difference between the two was the dealings by the referee. Grasso’s knees were not deemed illegal but Allen’s were. Ultimately, Grasso and Shehvchenko’s bout was called a draw but a timeout and an illegal knee could have turned into a catalyst for change.