Brendan Allen called out several opponents for his next fight after defeating Bruno Silva at UFC Jacksonville.
Allen stepped into the Octagon for the twelfth time on June 24, looking to extend his four-fight winning streak. After avoiding trouble in the first few minutes, ‘All In’ began dominating in the striking department before finding Silva’s back. With less than 30 seconds left in round one, the 27-year-old locked in a rear-naked choke and secured a first-round submission win.
Shortly after getting his hand raised, Allen utilized his in-cage microphone time to call out Jared Cannonier, Dricus Du Plessis, Israel Adesanya, and more. During his post-fight press conference backstage, he had this to say when asked about Cannonier and what’s next:
“As far as the [Jared Cannonier] matchup, I think he looked really good in his last fight, very good, but I think I’m a different beast… I just think he’s a fun fight and it’s a matchup that gets me to the top.”
Allen continued by saying:
“If I can’t get them then Strickland, win or lose [against Abus Magomedov], I’d like to get that fight because it’s a rematch, and, obviously, I want that. I really don’t know what the answer is right now. There’s so many guys that have fights lined up in the very near future, so I don’t know what it’s gonna be.”
In November 2020, Allen’s three-fight winning streak to start his UFC tenure was snapped by Sean Strickland. ‘All In’ now wants to avenge the loss if he isn’t matched up against Cannonier.
‘Killa Gorilla’ last fought on June 17, defeating Marvin Vettori by unanimous decision. After making a statement against Vettori, Cannonier is likely one win away from another UFC middleweight title shot. Allen hopes to steal his momentum in a potential fight later this year.
Brendan Allen responds to potential matchup against Khamzat Chimaev
Khamzat Chimaev’s last fight was filled with controversy after he the welterweight limit by seven pounds. As a result, the 29-year-old is expected to move up to middleweight and avoid a drastic weight cut. Chimaev has been connected to rumors against nearly every top-ranked 185-pounder in the UFC, with a new name recently being added
During the UFC Jacksonville post-fight press conference, Brendan Allen was asked about potentially fighting Chimaev. He responded by saying:
“I fear no man. I turn down no fight. If that’s what he wants, he can come get it. I don’t care, anyone can get it… What, he’s gonna try to take me down? Congratulations, you can take me down, I jump guard, but what are you gonna do with it?”
Allen continued by saying:
“I’m a different beast, on my back, on top, doesn’t matter. I’m a different beast. I’m not here to talk sh*t on nobody. I’m just here to do my job and stay in my lane. If he comes into my lane, it is what it is.”
Chimaev holds a UFC record of 6-0, with two wins in the middleweight division. He last fought at 185 pounds in September 2020, knocking out Gerald Meerschaert in seventeen seconds. Only time will tell what’s next for ‘Borz.’
