At UFC Vancouver, Brendan Allen shocked the MMA world with a dominant win over the -198 favorite (via DraftKings Sportsbook) Reinier de Ridder. After scoring the biggest victory of his career, ‘All In’ made it clear he’s ready for the top as he called out both the reigning champion Khamzat Chimaev on the mic. But still, Allen believes there’s a serious problem that might hinder his chances at a title shot.

Despite being ranked #9, Allen took out the #4 ‘RDR’ in a convincing fashion, but the South Carolina native doubts he’ll actually move up in the rankings. Why? It’s because he suspects that the promotion might play some politics to slow down his path to the middleweight gold. 

Brendan Allen doubts taking Reinier de Ridder’s place after UFC Vancouver win 

On the UFC ESPN post-show, former light heavyweight title challenger Anthony Smith asked, “’Cause you probably just put yourself in the top five. Where do you think he stands compared to everybody else in the division?” To which Allen replied, “Well, you know how the politics works. So, they’re probably gonna put me at like number 6 or some bulls–t. But to me, I’m number 4 in the world — I just beat number four, I’m number four. I took the opportunity. I took the risk. I gambled.” 

When it comes to rankings, UFC fans have always had their disagreements, especially with the pound-for-pound list. Still, if we look at recent history, the promotion’s handling of divisional rankings has been pretty fair. So, after a big win over De Ridder, it’s expected that ‘All In’ will finally move up in the middleweight ladder. And also, we’ll find out soon enough when the UFC updates its rankings on the official website. 

So, as the Carolina native’s rise in the rankings remains in doubt, he might have already anticipated that he needs to win another fight before getting a title shot. That’s why ‘All-In’s’ post-fight callout also included names like Dricus du Plessis and Sean Strickland. It seems the middleweight sensation is ready to go wherever Dana White and company want him to go.

For now, Brendan Allen is nothing but ecstatic after his sensational win over the Dutchman in front of the Rogers Arena crowd. And honestly, that victory didn’t come easy, as he had to survive a tough first round before turning things around. Thankfully, his teammates were right there to back him up, and the middleweight contender made sure to credit former 170 lbs champ Belal Muhammad, who plays an integral role in his camp.  

‘All-In’ credits Belal Muhammad and his teammates

In the first round of the UFC Vancouver main event, Allen struggled to escape ‘RDR’s relentless grappling attempts. But from the second round onward, the Carolina native flipped the script, applying constant pressure and dominating the Dutchman until his corner threw in the towel in the fourth round. That turnaround came from a shift in ‘All-In’s mindset. Something he credits entirely to his teammates, especially Belal Muhammad, who was extremely motivating to him throughout the fight.  

At the UFC ESPN post show, Allen Added, “I think it’s my team. They really care about me as a person fully. They don’t care what happens in there. They just want me to be the best that I can be. My brother, Belal Muhammad, he’s here. He’s right in the middle of a camp; he flew all the way here during the middle of his training camp. Because he believed in me. All these guys stopped their whole lives with their families and everything, to fully put in (their) effort into me.”  

For the unversed, the former welterweight champion and Brendan Allen have been teammates for quite some time, and both train at Kill Cliff FC. So, it’s quite natural that he would step in to help his teammate during the fight. We could also see how Allen kept listening to ‘Remember the Name’s’ advice, which helped him stay focused and stick to his game plan against RDR. Thus, he ended up victorious while making Canada proud, the country he represented at Vancouver.

That said, as Brendan earned the biggest victory of his career and extended his winning streak to two! What do you think comes next for him? Is he truly ready to face Khamzat Chimaev? Or would Dricus du Plessis be a better next opponent? Let us know in the comments section below.