Brendan Allen claims a fight with former middleweight champion Dricus du Plessis was on the table, but didn’t get done.
Instead, Allen returns this Saturday in the co-main event of UFC Vegas 118 to face unranked middleweight Edmen Shahbazyan in bout that shocked a lot of people. Allen called for a matchup with du Plessis after stopping Reinier de Ridder at UFC Vancouver this past October in a fight that made all the sense in the world. It’s rumored du Plessis will face Kamaru Usman in the main event of UFC Oklahoma City in July, but the UFC is yet to announce it.
So why didn’t the fight with du Plessis happen?
“Because he’s a bitch,” Allen told MMA Fighting. “It was supposed to be a done deal in January. I was told it was a done deal. Me and Dricus was done and then they said he got hurt and he’s not fighting until July. And I was, at that time, it was supposed to be like around May that I was told that I would fight him. So I was like, ‘No, I don’t want to wait, who’s next?‘ Or maybe it was end of April, I don’t even know. I think it may have been end of April, some somewhere in April, yeah, because then it got moved to May, then they said he got hurt.
“But he posted training videos the next week, so I don’t know. I kind of think I was a little bit finessed, to be honest with you, and I don’t know by who. I’m not saying it was by anyone in particular, but that’s what I feel. And then I asked for Usman. Like, let me fight Usman then, since [du Plessis’] hurt, he’s ready to go, let me fight him. I want to fight him. Let me fight him. And that didn’t come to fruition. I asked for many other guys, those didn’t come to fruition. I got sick of waiting, sick of waiting, needed the money, and I took the guy who was on a win streak and didn’t have a fight.”
Shahbazyan, despite not having a number next to his name, enters one of the biggest fights of his career on a three-fight win streak, including a stoppage win over Andre Muniz in his most recent bout at UFC 320 this past October. The 28-year-old was slated to face Jun Yong Park in April before a Park injury scratched the contest.
Allen was asked how this matchup between a top 5 fighter in himself and a fighter nowhere near the title picture came to be.
“F*cking tell me about it,” Allen said. “I’m young per se, getting older though, I’m in good shape. I want to work, I want to get better, I want to make money. Why am I going to sit out? I’m here to make money to build my dream at home, with the life I want to live. So I don’t want to sit out. I’m not hurt, so I mean, it came down to… I don’t know, man, it was a lot of moving parts for many times.
“I was supposed to fight in March, then April, then May, then they had booked everything out and announced all the main events, and I was like, ‘Yo, if I got to co-main to someone’s [main event], let me do [it with] B. He’s one of my best friends, the best guy I know, let me co-main to him. Then nobody wanted to fight. I asked for pretty much everyone. Nobody wanted to fight whether they were hurt, they didn’t want to fight, whatever the reason may be. So the next person in line who didn’t have a fight was Edmen, and yeah, just right place right time for for him.”
Allen understands he won’t gain much from getting a victory over Shahbazyan from a merit perspective, but that doesn’t matter to him. Allen wants to provide for his family.
And if he can put on a show, get that second paycheck, and perhaps, find himself in some extra bonus money, that’s even better. Either way, Allen plans to use Saturday night as a reminder to the fans and the rest of his division.
“If I can’t take him down in the fight, if I can’t do what I plan to do, then I’m going to beat the shit out of him on the feet, which is what I come to do anyway,” Allen said. “I come to strike with everyone. The only person I ever came to take down in a fight was [Nassourdine] Imavov, and the takedowns were dog shit. I should have stayed striking with him. I’m going to show him, I’m going to beat him in his game, I’m going to beat him in mine, I’m going to beat him everywhere it goes.”
“It’s hard for me to play on it, but I mean, I’m going to put something on him to pause. I plan to put pressure on him like crazy. I plan to go out there and just put a beating on him. I don’t plan to ever let him gain any confidence in this fight. He’s not going to get nothing from me. I think I’m tougher, I’m bigger, I’m more of a vet, I’m more skilled.”
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