Brendan Allen Blew Up Another Fight, And The UFC Is Still Pretending He Doesn't Exist

Okay, Emerald City, we gotta talk about something that's driving me absolutely bonkers after UFC Vegas 118. Yeah, there were some wild first-round finishes, and Gabriel Bonfim dropping Belal Muhammad was insane. But honestly, the real story here, the one nobody's talking about enough, is Brendan Allen. The dude just smoked Edmen Shahbazyan in the co-main event with a clear decision win, and it feels like the UFC is still trying to hide him from a title shot. What gives? Allen is ranked No. 4 in the middleweight division, and they're seriously still making him fight unranked guys?

The "Win" That Feels Like a Snub

Let's break down this Shahbazyan fight for a sec. Allen and Shahbazyan went back and forth, trading blows in the first two rounds. Allen started strong, but Shahbazyan actually landed some better shots by the end of the first five minutes. Then Allen's power just kicked in, and he started picking "The Golden Boy" apart, dominating him to a clear decision victory. Great, right? A win is a win. But here's the kicker: Shahbazyan, bless his heart, is so far removed from his "top prospect in 2019" days that frankly, most people think he shouldn't even be sniffing the rankings right now. So why on earth is a No. 4 ranked fighter like Brendan Allen even in this position? It's just weird, and it feels like a waste of his prime.

The Real Middleweight Scandal Nobody Saw Coming

This isn't a new problem either, folks. Cast your mind back to October at UFC Vancouver. Allen stepped up on short notice for an injured Anthony "Fluffy" Hernandez to headline against Reinier de Ridder. Everyone, and I mean *everyone*, expected de Ridder, a former ONE champion, to beat Allen and snag a middleweight title shot. RDR even got a takedown in the first round! But Allen saw right through that energy tank, got on top in the second round, and just wore him down until de Ridder actually quit on his stool. That's the kind of performance that screams "title shot," especially since de Ridder vs. Hernandez was supposed to be a title eliminator! Instead, the UFC waited for Hernandez, who then lost to Sean Strickland. And then what happened? Strickland upset Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 328 last month to win the title. So Allen beats a guy who was literally on the verge of title contention, and seven months later, he's booked against an unranked fighter. Are you kidding me?

What The Hell Is Next For Our Man Brendan Allen?

Look, I know some folks don't love Allen's style, or his pace, or maybe his "low fight IQ moments," or even his interviews. Whatever. The fact remains, he's a top-five fighter. His losses, whether to Hernandez, Imavov, Strickland, or Chris Curtis, are not terrible by any means. This guy deserves respect! We can't keep someone like Allen on the sidelines. Whether he gets the *next* title shot or not, he absolutely deserves another major opportunity after these last two outings. What's going on with Chimaev? Is he really moving to light heavyweight? If not, do we get Strickland vs. Chimaev II? If Chimaev *does* move, and Dricus Du Plessis wins his rumored fight against Kamaru Usman, are we really looking at a Strickland-Du Plessis trilogy, considering DDP has already beaten Strickland twice? The middleweight division is a mess, but Allen has done the UFC a favor, taken a huge risk, and proved himself. Give him a title eliminator, at least! Rematch him with Imavov if Imavov isn't getting the shot. Or put him against the DDP-Usman winner, Hernandez, or Caio Borralho. Let's get him another chance to push his status further, because he's earned it.

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