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Who’s Next for Brendan Allen After Win at UFC Vancouver?

Originally posted on EssentiallySports | By Sudeep Sinha | Last updated Oct 19, 2025 12:41 AM ET

There it is! UFC Fight Night: Reinier de Ridder vs. Brendan Allen came to a dramatic halt at Rogers Arena in Vancouver, British Columbia. The five-round main event wasn’t originally slated to feature Allen, but after Anthony Hernandez withdrew due to an undisclosed injury, the Canadian contender stepped in to face de Ridder in a showdown between two elite submission specialists with aggressive striking styles.

But as always in the Octagon, there could only be one winner. Brendan Allen defeated Reinier de Ridder by fifth-round TKO after a grueling ground battle. De Ridder started strong, dominating Round 1 with superior grappling, but Allen took control from Round 2 onward with heavy elbows and relentless pressure. As the fight wore on, de Ridder faded badly, absorbing punishment on the ground. Exhausted and bloodied, he couldn’t answer the bell for Round 5, giving Allen the comeback victory. But the question is, who’s next for Allen?

Who will Brendan Allen fight next?

Brendan Allen entered UFC Fight Night 262 ranked No. 10 in the middleweight division. With a victory over No. 4-ranked Reinier de Ridder, Allen will now be catapulted to the top 5-6 range. This bout is explicitly framed as a title eliminator for the middleweight champion Khamzat Chimaev, with media reports confirming the winner earns a shot at the belt.

The upset win marked his second victory since winning a unanimous decision against Marvin Vettori in July this year, positioning him as a legitimate contender in one of the UFC’s deepest divisions. You can expect a quick turnaround for the title fight with Chimaev, potentially after 3 to 4 months. However, in case this fight doesn’t pan out for any reason, Allen could appear in a tune-up against a top-8 contender.

He could have a rematch against No. 6-ranked Anthony Hernandez or No. 2-ranked Nassourdine Imavov. In the meantime, pros have shared their reactions to Allen’s upset win.

Khamzat Chimaev and others react to the upset

De Ridder would have landed a shot against Chimaev if he had secured a win, but since he didn’t, the Russian criticized the Dutch fighter. “This bulls—t guy give up,” Chimaev wrote on X. Meanwhile, Jeff Molina was happy to see Allen deliver on his promise. “Allen said he would break him and that he did!”

Allen’s former opponent, Nassourdine Imavov, claimed he knew the outcome was coming. “Knew it,” Imavov tweeted. However, Nazim Sadykhov didn’t see this coming. “Surprised to see that honestly,” he wrote on X. Caio Borralho, on the other hand, was confused. “Did RDR got injured in the fight or he just gave up? Real question guys,” Borralho asked.

It’s safe to say that not a lot of people were expecting Brendan Allen to win the fight. However, now that he has, a title shot might not be that far away. Who do you think ‘All In’ will end up fighting next?

This article first appeared on EssentiallySports and was syndicated with permission.

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