UFC's #4 Middleweight Fought An Unranked Guy: Why Brendan Allen Deserves WAY More

Alright, Seattle sports faithful, we gotta talk about something that's been bugging me after UFC Vegas 118. Yeah, Gabriel Bonfim got a huge win over former champ Belal Muhammad, and there were some wild first-round finishes. But you know what's truly mind-boggling? Brendan Allen, our guy, a legit top-five middleweight, was in the co-main event, doing what he does best, and yet it feels like the UFC is still sleeping on him. He just snagged a clear decision win over Edmen Shahbazyan, and frankly, it's an absolute joke that he was even in that fight to begin with!

How Does a #4 Ranked Fighter Get Stuck Fighting Unranked Guys?

Let's break down the Shahbazyan fight first. Allen and "The Golden Boy" went at it, trading shots in the opening rounds. Allen started strong, Shahbazyan landed some better punches by the end of the first five minutes, but then Allen's power just took over. He picked Shahbazyan apart, walking away with a clear decision. On paper, it's a win, another one for the books. But here's the kicker, the part that makes you want to smash your remote: Brendan Allen is ranked No. 4 in the UFC’s middleweight rankings! Shahbazyan, while on a three-fight win streak, is far, far removed from his "top prospect" days back in 2019. Honestly, most folks would agree he shouldn't even be sniffing the rankings right now. So why in the world is a #4 contender fighting someone who barely belongs in the top 15? It makes zero sense, and it screams that the UFC is not giving Allen the respect he's earned.

He Already Proved He's A Title Contender

This isn't just about the Shahbazyan fight. You gotta cast your mind back to UFC Vancouver last October. Allen stepped up on short notice, filling in for an injured Anthony Hernandez against Reinier de Ridder. Everyone, and I mean *everyone*, thought RDR was going to roll over Allen and catapult himself into a middleweight title shot. RDR, a former ONE champion, even got a takedown in the first round. But Brendan Allen, that grinder, saw through de Ridder's energy tank, got on top in the second round, wore him down, and guess what? De Ridder QUIT ON HIS STOOL! That's not just a win, that's a statement! That RDR-Hernandez fight was supposed to be a title eliminator! Another supposed eliminator, Imavov vs. Borralho, ended up being a total stinker. Allen, on short notice, won a fight that was absolutely title eliminator quality, yet somehow, the UFC waited for Hernandez to get healthy, he lost to Sean Strickland, and then Strickland upset Khamzat Chimaev for the title at UFC 328. It was a classic fight, sure, but it feels so weird that Allen beat a guy who was literally heading for title contention, and seven months later, he's fighting an unranked dude. Some people might not dig his style or his promos, but a top-five fighter deserves to be treated like one. His losses to Hernandez, Imavov, Strickland, and Chris Curtis? Those are not terrible defeats by any stretch. Brendan Allen has done enough for a major opportunity.

So, what's next? The middleweight division is a bit of a swirling vortex right now. Is Chimaev really going to light heavyweight? Are we getting a Strickland-Chimaev rematch? What about Dricus Du Plessis against Kamaru Usman, and then a Strickland-DDP trilogy since DDP has beaten Strickland twice? Honestly, who knows. But one thing is crystal clear for us in the Emerald City: you absolutely cannot keep Brendan Allen on the sidelines. He's done the UFC a favor by stepping up and taking risks, proving he belongs in the upper echelon. Give him that title shot he's earned, or at the very least, a legit title eliminator against someone like Imavov, the DDP/Usman winner, a Hernandez rematch, or Caio Borralho. It's time to let our guy push his status even further!

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