Brendan Allen: record, style and what is next
Who Brendan Allen is and where he stands
Brendan Allen, nicknamed "All In", is a UFC middleweight ranked fourth by the promotion, with a record of 28-7 as of 20 October 2026. He has won four in a row, the latest by rear-naked choke in round five against Christian Leroy Duncan at the Meta Apex in Las Vegas on 10 October. Our Allen vs. Duncan recap has the event.
He was born on 28 December 1995 in Beaufort, South Carolina, is 30, stands 6 ft 2 in and has a 75 inch reach. Sean Strickland is the middleweight champion, and Allen has publicly asked for a title shot.
How Brendan Allen fights
Allen is a submission specialist who wins by getting to the back and finishing with a rear-naked choke. He is a Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt under Daniel Wanderley, and 15 of his 28 wins, 54 per cent, came by submission. Six came by KO or TKO and seven by decision.
He is no pure grappler. His UFC page lists 3.61 significant strikes landed per minute at 52 per cent accuracy, against 3.86 absorbed at 47 per cent defence, so he takes damage while looking for his chances. His submission average is 1.08 per 15 minutes and his average fight lasts 11 minutes 52 seconds, which suggests he is at his best when a fight gets late.
The Duncan fight showed it. Duncan was competitive on the feet and finished round three on top with ground and pound, but Allen kept coming forward in round four and, about 90 seconds into round five, took him down with a bodylock, got both hooks in and forced the tap.
The road to the UFC
Allen won the IMMAF amateur middleweight title in 2015 and turned pro that year. He began studying Brazilian jiu-jitsu at 13, fought once at welterweight in 2015 and has been a middleweight since 2016. He took the Valor Fights middleweight title in 2016 and the vacant LFA middleweight title against Tim Hiley at LFA 50 in 2018, and defended it against Moses Murrietta at LFA 61 in 2019.
He earned his UFC contract on Dana White's Contender Series on 16 July 2019 by submitting Aaron Jeffery in round one. He debuted that October by submitting Kevin Holland in round two, then beat Tom Breese and Kyle Daukaus.
He lost to Sean Strickland by TKO in November 2020 and to Chris Curtis by TKO in December 2021. He then went on a run of rear-naked choke wins, including Krzysztof Jotko, Andre Muniz in February 2023, Bruno Silva and Paul Craig, and won a split decision over Curtis in a rematch in April 2024. Losses to Nassourdine Imavov in September 2024 and Anthony Hernandez in February 2025 both went to decision.
His one trip up in weight came in February 2022, when he submitted Sam Alvey with a rear-naked choke at light heavyweight. Wikipedia credits him with four Performance of the Night and two Fight of the Night awards across his UFC career.
The recent run
Allen's last four results, all wins:
- Marvin Vettori, 19 July 2025 (UFC 318): unanimous decision.
- Reinier de Ridder, 18 October 2025 (Vancouver): TKO via corner stoppage after round four, taken on short notice when Anthony Hernandez withdrew.
- Edmen Shahbazyan, 6 June 2026 (Las Vegas): unanimous decision, 30-27, 30-27 and 29-28, a Fight of the Night.
- Christian Leroy Duncan, 10 October 2026 (Las Vegas): submission, round five at 2:46.
Duncan, who was on a five-fight win streak, lost a point in round two for an eye poke, which meant he needed to win the final round. Allen's finish also earned a Performance of the Night award, according to Wikipedia.
What happens next for Brendan Allen
No UFC opponent has been announced as of 20 October 2026. After the Duncan win he told Michael Bisping he wants a title shot or, failing that, a fight with former champion Dricus du Plessis.
He has also been reported as stepping in at RAF 14 in Las Vegas on 23 October, replacing Michael Page against Alexander Shlemenko, which is not a UFC event. In the UFC, a fourth straight win with a finish gives him a good case, but the title picture is crowded and the next booking will show whether the promotion agrees.
FAQs
What is Brendan Allen's record?
Brendan Allen is 28-7 as of 20 October 2026. Fifteen wins came by submission, seven by decision and six by KO or TKO. He has won his last four fights, finishing Reinier de Ridder by corner stoppage and Christian Leroy Duncan by rear-naked choke in the past year.
How did Brendan Allen beat Christian Leroy Duncan?
Allen submitted Duncan with a rear-naked choke at 2:46 of round five at UFC Vegas 122 on 10 October 2026. He took Duncan down with a bodylock about 90 seconds into the round, got both hooks in and forced the tap. Duncan had lost a point for an eye poke in round two.
Where is Brendan Allen ranked?
The UFC ranks Allen fourth in the middleweight division on its official list, which was last updated on 10 October 2026. Sean Strickland is the champion. Rankings change after each event, so check the UFC rankings page for the current position before quoting it.
Who is Brendan Allen fighting next?
No UFC fight is announced as of 20 October 2026. Allen asked for a title shot or a fight with Dricus du Plessis after beating Duncan. He has also been reported as replacing Michael Page against Alexander Shlemenko at RAF 14 in Las Vegas on 23 October.
What is Brendan Allen's fighting style?
Allen is a Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt who hunts the back and the rear-naked choke. Fifteen of his 28 wins are submissions. He lands 3.61 significant strikes per minute and takes 3.86, so he gives and takes damage on the feet and tends to be at his strongest in later rounds.