Brendan Allen believes the UFC middleweight division is in flux after Sean Strickland took the title from Khamzat Chimaev by split decision at UFC 328, and he sees his next fight as a chance to break into the championship mix.
Allen, ranked No. 6 in the USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie middleweight rankings, is set to face unranked Edmen Shahbazyan at UFC Fight Night 278 on June 6 at Meta APEX in Las Vegas. He trained alongside Chimaev for part of his camp before Chimaev’s split decision loss to Strickland.
"I think we're in a crazy position and everyone's just waiting for the bosses to say what avenue they're going to go. I'm kind of caught," Allen said of the title picture.
Allen thinks both Chimaev and Nassourdine Imavov have strong claims near the top. "I think Khamzat deserves a rematch. It was a super close fight based on statistics. I had him winning, but I could also be (biased). It was obviously still a close fight because it was a split decision. I would say he should get a rematch, but I also think Nassourdine (Imavov) has earned No. 1 contender. It's a super tough spot."
Looking ahead to Shahbazyan, Allen’s focus is on making a statement. "He's a good opponent. He's a young, talented guy and I've just got to go in there and do what I need to do and get him out of there," Allen said, adding, "If you think you're the best in the world then you've got to go prove it, and that's kind of where my mindset is."
