Arnold Allen Pulls Out Of UFC 333 With Injury

Arnold Allen has withdrawn from his scheduled featherweight bout against Aaron Pico at UFC 333 on Oct. 24 in Abu Dhabi, multiple people with knowledge of the promotion's plans confirmed to MMA Fighting.

The withdrawal stems from ongoing rehab from past treatments rather than a fresh injury, per MMA Fighting's Mike Heck. While Allen is progressing, there was not enough runway between now and fight night for the U.K. fighter to be ready. The UFC was aware the matchup could fall through when it was initially discussed. Allen is expected to return before the end of the year.

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Pico Remains On Card Against Keita

Pico will stay on the UFC 333 card to face Losene Keita, according to the reports. Keita knocked out Muhammad Naimov in the first round at UFC Paris earlier this month, earning a Performance of the Night bonus in his first octagon win. Pico is coming off a decision victory over Patricio Pitbull at UFC 327 in April, his first win since arriving in the promotion in August 2025.

The 32-year-old Allen was slated for his third fight of 2026, which would have been the first time he competed three times in a calendar year since his Cage Warriors days in 2014. He rebounded from a January loss to Jean Silva with a decision win over Melquizael Costa in the main event of UFC Vegas 117 in May. Allen has gone 4-3 since 2022, with losses to Max Holloway, Movsar Evloev, and Silva.

🎟️ Get tickets: Buy tickets to UFC 333 on Ticketmaster →

UFC 333 takes place at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi.

Reported via:

• MMA Fighting — Arnold Allen scratched from UFC 333 fight with Aaron Pico
• MMA Mania — Arnold Allen injured, out of UFC 333 fight against Aaron Pico