UFC 333 just took a pretty brutal hit. Arnold Allen is reportedly out of his October 24 featherweight showdown with Aaron Pico, leaving the former Bellator standout without a fight just weeks before he was supposed to step inside the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi.
‘Almighty’ was expected to make the walk against Pico, but the Englishman apparently won’t have enough time to finish his rehabilitation and get himself properly ready for the matchup.
The good news for Pico? He won’t be left scrambling for a new opponent. The UFC has already lined up a replacement. Former two-division OKTAGON MMA champ Losene Keita is now stepping up to the plate against the No. 12-ranked featherweight, giving the 29-year-old a pretty interesting replacement instead of leaving him high and dry.
As for Arnold Allen, the withdrawal comes at a frustrating time. The featherweight contender was hoping to make it three fights in 2026 after starting the year with a razor-close unanimous decision loss to Jean Silva at UFC 324 in January.
He got back in the win column soon after, picking up a decision victory over Melquizael Costa in Las Vegas. Now, a win over Aaron Pico at UFC 333 could have been another big step toward pushing Allen back into the thick of the featherweight title picture. Instead, his recovery has forced him to sit this one out and watch another opportunity slip away.
Unfortunately for Arnold Allen, this isn’t exactly his first rodeo when it comes to pulling out of a UFC fight. The Englishman was supposed to face Enrique Barzola at UFC 220 in January 2018, only to withdraw shortly before the event due to visa issues. Back then, Matt Bessette stepped in on short notice to take his place.
‘Almighty’ was also forced to decline a fight ahead of UFC London in 2020 after suffering a nasty right-hand sprain. Then, in 2023, another injury derailed a huge opportunity when he popped a rib during training and had to pull out of a planned co-main event against former UFC champion Max Holloway in London.
Thankfully, that one eventually came together. The 32-year-old and Holloway met a month later at UFC on ESPN 44, with ‘Blessed’ walking away with a decision victory.
Arnold Allen’s withdrawal means Aaron Pico is now getting a completely different test in Losene Keita. And honestly, it could make for a seriously fun matchup. It also makes sure that UFC 333 remains absolutely stacked.
Alexander Volkanovski is set to put his featherweight title on the line against undefeated contender Movsar Evloev in the main event, while former two-time bantamweight champion Petr Yan and former champ Merab Dvalishvili will settle their trilogy in the co-main event.
And now, Keita has a chance to make his own case for a future title opportunity.
Losene Keita may be coming off a UFC loss, but the former two-division champ has plenty of momentum behind him.The Belgian made his name in OKTAGON MMA, becoming a champion at both featherweight and lightweight before earning his shot in the UFC.
For ‘Black Panther,’ his promotional debut didn’t exactly go to plan, though. Keita dropped a razor-close split decision to Nathaniel Wood at UFC London in March. But he responded in emphatic fashion.
Keita returned at UFC Paris earlier this month and wasted absolutely no time, starching Muhammad Naimov with a viral first-round knockout. The Belgian then climbed over the cage to celebrate with the Paris crowd before casually taking a seat in the front row to watch the rest of the card.
Now, he gets the biggest opportunity of his UFC career and a chance to show that his Naimov knockout was just the beginning. Pico knows the feeling all too well.
Once considered one of MMA’s brightest prospects, the American got off to a rough start in the UFC, suffering a knockout loss to Lerone Murphy on his debut in August 2025. But Aaron Pico quickly showed he wasn’t going to let that define him, bouncing back with an impressive decision win over former Bellator champion Patricio Pitbull at UFC 327 in April.
At UFC 333, Arnold Allen was supposed to be the next big test of Aaron Pico’s credentials at 145 pounds. Instead, he’ll now have to deal with Losene Keita, a completely different matchup and a fighter coming in with a highlight-reel knockout fresh in his memory.
There’s plenty on the line for both men here. Aaron Pico is looking to keep climbing the featherweight ladder, while ‘Black Panther’ has a golden chance to make some serious noise by taking out a ranked opponent.
And you can bet both will be keeping a close eye on the UFC 333 main event. With Alexander Volkanovski and Movsar Evloev battling for featherweight gold, a big win for either Pico or Keita could suddenly put the winner much closer to the title conversation.
