Allen accuses du Plessis of ducking him after UFC title fight fell through

Brendan Allen has accused former UFC middleweight champion Dricus du Plessis of ducking him after a planned January bout fell apart, leaving the top-five contender matched against unranked Edmen Shahbazyan at UFC Vegas 118 in Las Vegas this Saturday.

“Because he’s a bitch,” Allen told MMA Fighting when asked why the du Plessis fight never materialised. “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.”

Allen’s frustration deepened when du Plessis appeared in training footage shortly after the injury was cited as the reason for pulling out. “He posted training videos the next week, so I don’t know,” Allen said. “I kind of think I was a little bit finessed, to be honest with you.”

The 29-year-old had earned his shot at a high-profile matchup by stopping Reinier de Ridder at UFC Vancouver in October, a performance that put him firmly in the middleweight title conversation. When the du Plessis bout collapsed, Allen pushed for alternatives. “I asked for Usman. Let me fight Usman then, since he’s ready to go. And that didn’t come to fruition. I asked for many other guys, those didn’t come to fruition.”

Du Plessis is widely expected to defend against Kamaru Usman in the main event of UFC Oklahoma City in July, though the UFC has yet to formally announce the contest.

With months of inactivity mounting and financial pressures weighing on him, Allen eventually accepted the Shahbazyan fight. “I got sick of waiting, needed the money, and I took the guy who was on a win streak and didn’t have a fight,” he said.

Shahbazyan, 28, arrives on a three-fight winning streak that includes a stoppage of Andre Muniz at UFC 320 last October. He had been booked to face Jun Yong Park in April before a Park injury cancelled that bout. Despite carrying no ranking, Shahbazyan represents a meaningful step up in profile for a fighter who has rebuilt his career steadily after a difficult run earlier in his twenties.

Allen acknowledged the mismatch in rankings but said prolonged inactivity was not an option. “I’m not hurt, so I mean… I want to work, I want to get better, I want to make money. Why am I going to sit out?”