Brendan Allen wanted a fight higher up the UFC middleweight rankings. Instead, he will put his own position on the line against Christian Leroy Duncan, a rising contender who has won five consecutive fights.Allen, ranked No. 4 in the division, has won his last three bouts, most recently beating Edmen Shahbazyan by unanimous decision on June 6. Duncan, ranked No. 10, heads into his first UFC main event on the back of consecutive decision wins over Roman Dolidze and former title challenger Jared Cannonier.For Allen, the fight is another chance to keep moving in a division where he believes he should be facing opponents above him. It also comes as he continues to look towards a possible matchup with former middleweight champion Dricus du Plessis.Allen has maintained that a fight with Du Plessis had effectively been agreed earlier this year before it fell through. He was left looking for another opponent, eventually taking on Shahbazyan. Du Plessis, meanwhile, went on to face Kamaru Usman and won by unanimous decision.Asked whether he still believed the Du Plessis fight had been avoided, Allen did not hold back.“Yeah, 100% I believe the fight was avoided. I think Dricus ducked me,” he said.“I understand the name value of the guy he fought (Kamaru Usman), but in terms of competition level, like where we’re at today, I think it was a lot different. I know I’m a way harder fight than Usman, especially with all the circumstances, age and coming up a weight class. I know it in my heart. He knows it in his heart. He took the easier fight,” Allen told TimesofIndia.com.That remains a matchup Allen wants, but he has not been willing to wait indefinitely for it to happen. His approach has been to keep fighting, even when the opponent on offer does not necessarily move him up the rankings.“I don’t say this fight’s the right fight for me. It’s just the only fight available, and I want to stay active and make money while I can,” he said of Duncan.“So, I think fighting up is the right fight, but it didn’t happen, and I can’t sit back and ponder on it or complain. I’ve just got to go out there and do my best and try to get the W, and then fight up after that.”Allen said the uncertainty around the division was only a small part of why he wanted to remain active. He also wants to keep improving and earn while he can.“Not trusting the division to move is definitely one reason, but that one’s very minimal. I just don’t want to sit out. I want to make money. I spend money like crazy, so I’ve got to make it. I’ve got to hustle and just keep staying active. Also, it helps my body stay good and keeps me growing, keeps me doing what I need to do. And yeah, I just want to fight, I want to stay active.”
The middleweight picture
The division is not short of contenders making a case for themselves. Sean Strickland holds the title, while Khamzat Chimaev, Du Plessis and Nassourdine Imavov are among the names ahead of Allen in the middleweight rankings.That leaves Allen with ground to make up, even after three successive wins. Duncan’s rise adds another complication. A victory over the fourth-ranked fighter would be the biggest result of his UFC career and could move him into contention for fights against the division’s leading names.Allen, meanwhile, knows that another win does not automatically guarantee a title opportunity. He was candid when asked when a fighter should stop accepting bouts and start demanding a shot at the belt.“Winning fights is always the biggest thing, but I think in this company, you don’t demand a damn thing. You go out there and earn it, and no matter if you keep fighting and keep winning, you never demand anything. You just keep pushing for it, keep trying, and when you’ve earned your shot, you can sit out and wait if you want to.”He does not believe he has reached that point yet.“So I just haven’t earned mine yet, given the state of the division and how it’s been going and who’s been available. But hopefully, this one or one more, I can say I owned it and can sit and wait.”For Allen, beating Duncan could strengthen his argument for a fight against someone higher in the rankings. He also has a specific idea of what would put him in a stronger position to challenge for the belt.“If I beat Duncan on Saturday, I think I either fight Dricus if he stops ducking me, or sit and wait for the belt. But I think Dricus is more realistic. If I beat Leroy and then go out and beat Dricus, then I can sit and wait, because then there’s nobody for sure over me to get the title shot.”
Keeping the focus on himself
Allen’s recent camps have taken him to Chicago, where he has worked with Mike Valle and Belal Muhammad. He said the main benefit has been the attention he receives during preparation and the chance to concentrate on his own development.“The environment’s been good, but ultimately, it’s just been having one-on-one attention and being focused solely on myself during my camps on how I can get better and prepare for the guy that I’m fighting, rather than being in a big room and having so many eyes on me all over the place.”The knee issue he spoke about after his win over Shahbazyan has also been addressed. Allen said rehabilitation had gone well and that it had not affected his preparation for Duncan.“The knee is good. My knee didn’t affect anything. I did a lot of rehab, and it’s good to go.”There is also the time away from his family that comes with training camps and travel. Allen said managing that side of his career has become more difficult than the physical demands of fighting.“Definitely managing everything around camp and my family and being away from them and not seeing them that much and traveling like for this and for that for camps — and that’s one million percent the harder scenario. That’s the harder thing to deal with, for sure.”Allen’s immediate focus is Duncan, not the fight he believes should have happened earlier in the year. But the bigger objective remains the same: keep winning, stay active and put himself in a position where the next call can be for a fight closer to the UFC middleweight title.
