Brendan Allen used his co-main event win at UFC Fight Night 278 to make a loud push toward the middleweight title picture.
Allen defeated Edmen Shahbazyan on Saturday at the Meta APEX, extending his winning streak to three and improving his UFC record to 15-4 while maintaining his place in the division’s top five.
"I don't think I deserve anything. I earned (it). I try to earn everything I get," Allen said after the fight, underscoring his belief that his resume justifies a crack at the top.
Allen set his sights firmly on UFC middleweight champion Sean Strickland, with whom he shares history. "I mean, f*ck, I hope Sean goes out here and he's the champion, so hopefully he picks me. Let's run this sh*t 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."
If a rematch with Strickland doesn’t materialize, Allen laid out other options, including Nassourdine Imavov or the winner of Kamaru Usman vs. Dricus Du Plessis. He also praised Shahbazyan for pushing him despite coming in unranked, calling the matchup a significant risk given his position near title contention.
"I guess I'm not the most likable guy, and I don't got the most followers or none of that, but I can f*cking fight," Allen said.
