The UFC’s line-up for January 2024 is starting to take shape, and on Wednesday, news of a key bout for UFC 297 broke.
That fight will take place at featherweight, with highly-ranked opponents Arnold Allen (19-2) and Movsar Evloev (17-0) throwing down. While not officially announced by the promotion, multiple sources have informed Cageside Press that the card will take place at the ScotiaBank Arena in Toronto, Ontario, Canada on January 20, 2024.
News of the fight initially spread on social media, starting with “Judobetter995” on Twitter/X.
The event will mark the UFC’s second stop on Canadian soil since the world opened up following the coronavirus pandemic. The promotion made its return visit to its northern neighbor in June, with UFC 289 taking place in Vancouver.
Allen has ties to Canada, training extensively with Montreal’s famed TriStar gym, home to the likes of Georges St-Pierre and Olivier Aubin-Mercier. The British featherweight is coming off the first loss of his UFC career, after falling to ex-champ Max Holloway this past April.
Prior to that, Allen had notched ten straight victories under the UFC banner.
Russia’s Evloev, meanwhile, is undefeated at 17-0 and most recently took home Fight of the Night in a three-round decision win over Diego Lopes.
Arnold Allen is currently ranked #4 in the UFC’s 145lb division, while Evloev comes in at #9.
