Athletes
Brendan Allen | Redemption Tour
Middleweight Brendan Allen Faces Anthony Hernandez In A Rematch Seven Years In The Making At UFC Seattle
After producing one of the most impressive win streaks in the middleweight division, Brendan Allen’s hot stretch came to a halt at the hands of Nassourdine Imavov in September.
The Louisiana native had won his previous seven bouts, including victories over the likes of Chris Curtis, Paul Craig and André Muniz. The streak included five wins by submission, all via rear-naked choke.
That success ultimately earned him a co-main event slot at UFC Paris against Imavov. However, seven fights in just over two years took a physical toll on Allen. While he was able to address nagging injuries and recover his body during his training camp for Imavov, Allen didn’t have enough time to fully rebuild his body before stepping into the Octagon.
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“The last time wasn’t the best version of me so I’m just trying to put my best foot forward and go put the best version of me in there,” Allen said. “As long as I’m the best me, I know I can beat anyone in the world, and I will beat anyone in the world.”
Coming off a loss, Allen didn’t feel like he had the negotiating power to call for someone higher than him in the middleweight rankings. As the current No. 9 ranked contender, he looked down the line and chose who he believed was the most deserving dance partner.
That man: No. 12 ranked Anthony Hernandez.
“I wanted the best guy that I could fight, no matter the record, no matter the social media following, and I felt Anthony was that guy,” Allen said. “I feel he’s been out here grinding. I know he’s pulled [out of] some fights, but when he does fight, he shows up and he goes to break guys. I like Fluffy. I like him as a person and felt he was the most deserving of the opportunity. And what better way than to add it to the redemption tour and get another one back.
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“I like Fluffy, I think he’s a great human, I think he’s a good person, but, man, I’m a monster coming off of a loss. I got to go beat him, I got to take something away from him to keep growing and get back to my family, so that’s exactly what I’m going to do.”
The two first met in 2017 for the vacant LFA middleweight championship. After five rounds, the judges scored the fight in favor of Hernandez. Watching “Fluffy” leave Lake Charles, Louisiana, with the belt that night was a bitter pill to swallow, and a rematch has long been on Allen’s mind since both signed with the UFC
“I was just mentally immature when I fought him,” Allen said. “I didn’t know how to work with my emotions, and if one little thing happened, it was outside of anyone’s control. Even if the opponent had nothing to do with it, just like me slipping in the cage all the time because it was vinyl, would frustrate me, and I didn’t want to be there anymore.”
“I think I was 21, 22 years old, now I’m 29, been on the big fights, I’ve had big fights, I’ve had good opponents, I’ve beat good guys, I’ve lost to good guys. It’s just different. My resume speaks for itself, so I don’t really have to say too much.”
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Hernandez is in a similar position to where Allen was prior to his fight with Imavov. The 31-year-old Californian has won seven of his last eight and six in a row, including five finishes since his last loss in 2020.
Despite all that success, Allen doesn’t see a huge difference between the Hernandez he fought seven years ago and the one he’s facing on Saturday, February 22, inside Climate Pledge Arena.
“The difference is, I’ve felt him before,” Allen said. “It was a while ago, don’t get me wrong, but ain’t too much changed, in my opinion. I’ll find out for sure on Saturday. He’s still probably going to be the same strength; he’s still probably going to be the same speed. I’m not. I went from a young man to a full-sized man. We’ll find out everything we need to know on Saturday, but, no matter what, I still get to go home to my family and still live a great life.”
If all goes to plan this weekend, Allen will join a stacked group of names at the top of the middleweight division, all vying for their chance to challenge 185-pound champ Dricus Du Plessis. While Allen feels he’s still a couple of steps away from getting a shot at the ultimate prize, he believes a win over a rising contender like Hernandez, and then a former champion,could do the trick.
“The division is so crazy right now,” Allen said. “I think Imavov should be next for the title, I think he’s earned it. And then you have Chimaev there, you have Caio there. You have all these guys that’re right there and you still have all the older guys like Izzy, Sean and Whittaker. It’s so tough, man.”
UFC Fight Night: Cejudo vs Song took place live from Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle, Washington on February 22, 2025. See the final Prelim & Main Card Results, Official Scorecards and Who Won Bonuses - and relive the action on UFC FIGHT PASS!