Suffolk's Allen beats Yusuff in career-best display

Allen, now 17-1 (8-0 UFC) dropped Yusuff (now 11-2, 4-1 UFC) heavily in rounds one and two, with a big left hand and head kick respectively.

Though he couldn't find the finish, Trimley's Allen took the win 29-28 on the scorecards, and now moves towards a fight with the top five of the featherweight division, boasting the longest winning streak in the 145lb ranks.

Afterwards, he said: "I wanted the finish. I've had a lot of decisions in the UFC.

"Sodiq is as tough as they come, all respect to him.

"I wanted to call out a top five after this, but I think I needed a finish."

Suffolk's Arnold Allen arrives at the UFC Apex ahead of his fight with Sodiq Yusuff (Image: UFC Europe/Twitter)

He added: "It was a bit of a mistake on my part. He came out guns blazing in the third round, but I was a little bit fatigued because I'd been trying to finish him.

"You know how it is, I was trying to get the finish and put the guy away, and I fatigued a little bit."

Former two-weight UFC champion Daniel Cormier, who was commentating on the fight, said simply: "Arnold Allen is the man."

Asked before the scrap what a win would do for him, Allen answered: "I don't want to go backwards, so I'd want to fight someone in the top ten.

"I'd like to make a big jump - I'd be 8-0 in the UFC and I'd like to fight someone in the top five.

Arnold Allen is now 8-0 in the UFC (Image: PA Archive/PA Images)

"All of them look like good fights to me. They're all sort of striking-based in the top ten of the featherweight division. Most of the guys are more stand-up, Ortega's obviously a jiu-jitsu guy, Volknanowski's a good wrestler but he doesn't wrestle too much in his last fights.

"100% I'm at title level. The top ten are all very good, all elite guys, but I think I match up well with all of them. There's some fights in the top five that are easier than guys outside the top five.

"Styles make fights, and I think they all suit me pretty well."