Brendan Allen continues Sean Strickland rematch campaign after UFC Vegas 118 win: ‘I get him out of there now’

Brendan Allen continues his campaign for a rematch with UFC middleweight champion Sean Strickland, fueling his call for revenge after a stunning performance at UFC Vegas 118. Allen defeated Edmen Shahbazyan in Saturday's co-main event, extending his winning streak to three fights and cementing his status as a genuine title contender.

Allen and Strickland last fought in November 2020 at a 195-pound catchweight, with Strickland earning a controversial victory. Both fighters have thrived since, but their paths diverged: Strickland orchestrated a shocking upset of champion Israel Adesanya at UFC 293 to capture the title, then successfully defended it against Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 328. Meanwhile, Allen compiled a seven-fight winning streak and recently scored a major upset over top-ten ranked Reinier de Ridder at UFC Vancouver in October, which thrust him squarely into title contention.

Allen believes a rematch now would end differently. "It's been six years since we fought, I think I was beating him going into it," Allen said. "I think I get him out of there now." He noted that Shahbazyan, the fighter he just defeated, represents a younger, faster, and more technical version of Strickland—suggesting his growth would give him the edge in a rematch. Allen's recent success includes three Performance of the Night bonuses and two Fight of the Night awards, and he emphasized his willingness to face top contenders. If a Strickland rematch doesn't materialize immediately, Allen indicated he would pursue fights against Nassourdine Imavov or the winner of a rumored Dricus du Plessis versus Kamaru Usman matchup. At 15-4 in the UFC, Allen stressed that his fighting ability speaks for itself.