Brendan Allen's Win at UFC Vegas 118 Exposes the UFC's Baffling Middleweight Plan

Alright, Seattle, listen up. UFC Vegas 118 just dropped, and while everyone's still buzzing about Gabriel Bonfim's insane victory over former welterweight champ Belal Muhammad, we need to talk about Brendan Allen. He won his co-main event against Edmen Shahbazyan by clear decision, which, cool. But here's the kicker: our guy, ranked No. 4 in the entire middleweight division, was fighting someone who shouldn't even be sniffing the rankings right now. Are you kidding me? This whole situation just screams that the UFC is completely fumbling Brendan Allen's career, and it's getting harder to ignore.

He Beat a Title Contender, Then an Unranked Guy? Seriously?

Let's rewind a bit. At UFC Vegas 118, Allen started strong against Shahbazyan, though "The Golden Boy" landed some good shots early. But then Allen's power picked up, and he picked Shahbazyan apart for that clear decision victory. Shahbazyan was on a three-fight win streak, sure, but he's far from his 2019 top prospect days. It feels like a lateral move at best, maybe even a step back, for a guy ranked No. 4 in the world. And that's the problem. Just over seven months ago, Allen stepped into the main event of UFC Vancouver on short notice. He filled in for an injured Anthony "Fluffy" Hernandez against Reinier de Ridder. Everyone expected de Ridder to win and go on to a middleweight title shot. What happened? RDR got a takedown in the first, but Allen saw through that energy tank, got on top in the second, and wore him down until de Ridder quit on his stool. That's a huge win, folks. That's a performance that should have catapulted Allen into title talks, especially since de Ridder versus Hernandez was set to be a title eliminator!

So Why Is the UFC Wasting Brendan Allen's Time?

Instead of a title shot, the UFC waited for Hernandez to heal up. Hernandez then lost to Sean Strickland, which led to UFC 328 where Strickland shockingly upset Khamzat Chimaev for the title. Don't get me wrong, that UFC 328 bout was a classic, but it's beyond weird that Allen can go from beating a guy who was literally heading for title contention on short notice, then get booked against an unranked fighter just months later. Some folks might not like Allen's fighting style, or his pace, or even how he talks in promos. They might point to "low fight IQ moments." But come on, the guy is a top-five ranked fighter. He deserves respect! His losses, by the way, are to guys like Hernandez, Imavov, Strickland, and Chris Curtis. Those aren't "terrible" losses by any stretch.

What's Next? He Needs a Major Shot, NOW.

The middleweight division is a mess right now. Is Chimaev moving to light heavyweight? If not, do we get a Strickland vs. Chimaev rematch? If Chimaev *does* move, and Dricus Du Plessis wins his rumored matchup against Kamaru Usman, are we looking at a Strickland vs. Du Plessis trilogy, with Du Plessis already beating Strickland twice? There are so many questions, but one thing is crystal clear: you can't keep a guy like Brendan Allen on the sidelines or feeding him unranked opponents. He deserves another major opportunity after these last two outings. If he gets a title shot next, awesome! If not, he absolutely needs a title eliminator. Match him with Imavov if Imavov isn't getting a shot. Give him the Du Plessis/Usman winner. Even a rematch with Hernandez or a fight against Caio Borralho would be something. Allen took a big risk and proved himself. It's time for the UFC to give him what he's earned and let him push his status further. We'll be watching to see what happens next.

This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.