Following his latest victory at UFC Vegas 118, Brendan Allen called out UFC middleweight champion Sean Strickland for a rematch.
Allen and Strickland fought back at UFC Vegas 14 in November 2020. The fight was contested at a 195 lbs catchweight after Strickland stepped in on short notice, replacing Ian Heinisch, who tested positive for COVID-19.
Despite taking the fight on short notice, Strickland finished Allen in the first round with strikes. Allen hasn’t forgotten that fight, and he wants to run it back now that Strickland is the UFC middleweight champion.
Brendan Allen Calls Out Sean Strickland
Speaking to reporters after defeating Strickland’s teammate at Xtreme Couture, Edmen Shahbazyan, in a Fight of the Night-winning performance at UFC Vegas 118, Allen said that he hopes to get a chance to run it back with the new middleweight champ six years after they first fought.
“I don’t think I deserve anything. I earned (it). I try to earn everything I get. I mean, (expletive), I hope Sean goes out here and he’s the champion, so hopefully he picks me. Let’s run this (expletive) back. It’s been six years since we fought. I think I was beating him going into it. If you watch our fight at different angles, you could tell he didn’t hit me with the striking. It wasn’t there. So I think I get him out of there now,” Allen said (via MMAjunkie.com).
In Allen’s opinion, Shahbazyan is a better version of the champ, so he feels like he matches up great against Strickland now if they fight again.
If Strickland rematches Khamzat Chimaev next, instead, Allen is happy to rematch No. 1 contender Nassourdine Imavov or take on the winner of the rumored fight between Dricus du Plessis and Kamaru Usman at UFC Oklahoma City.
“I think Edmen is a better version of him. He’s younger. He’s more technical. He’s faster. So I think Edmen is a better version of him, and I think I get Sean out of there, ‘And new.’ But you never know. If not, let me and Nassourdine (Imavov) fight. If Nassourdine wants to sit down and wait, that’s fine. Let me fight the winner of (Kamaru) Usman and Dricus (Du Plessis) in October, maybe early November at the worst,” Allen said.
What Will UFC Do at Middleweight?
Everyone is waiting to see what UFC president Dana White and the matchmakers decide to do at middleweight.
After Strickland pulled off a huge upset with a split-decision win over Chimaev last month, the UFC may decide to run that fight back, especially if Chimaev can convince them that he can dial in his weight cut.
Imavov is the rightful No. 1 contender right now, but he may get passed over if the UFC decides to run back the Strickland and Allen fight. If that’s the case, then a rematch with Allen is possible, though Allen is hoping that he’s the one who gets to fight Strickland again.
Either way, Allen has put himself in a good spot here, as he’s won three straight fights and will certainly score a top-five opponent in his next bout after fighting the unranked Shahbazyan.
Brendan Allen Calls Out UFC Middleweight Champ Sean Strickland