Allen and Chimaev agree to fight each other only if UFC middleweight gold is at stake

Brendan Allen has disclosed that he and Khamzat Chimaev will only fight each other if the UFC middleweight championship is on the line, ruling out any non-title matchup between the two friends regardless of rankings or promotional pressure.

Allen made the revelation during an appearance on MMA Junkie Radio, explaining that their personal bond would not stand in the way of a championship clash, but that nothing short of a belt would compel them to face each other.

“We have the agreement that we’re not going to fight each other unless it’s for gold,” Allen said. “So, if it’s for the belt, then we’re gonna fight. Fighting for the belt changes my life, and it changes my family’s. Everyone that I’ve ever come in contact with knows that about me: if it’s for a belt, there’s no questions that’s gonna be asked from my end.”

The statement comes on the back of Allen’s fourth consecutive UFC victory, a submission win over Christian Leroy Duncan at UFC Vegas 122 that has solidified his case as a legitimate middleweight title contender. Following that performance, Allen also called out former champion Dricus Du Plessis, signalling his intent to pursue gold through whatever route opens up.

Chimaev, meanwhile, is navigating his own path back to the title picture after suffering the first professional loss of his career in May, when Sean Strickland dethroned him at UFC 328. “Borz” has publicly pushed for an immediate rematch, but Nassourdine Imavov currently appears to be next in line for a shot at Strickland’s belt, leaving Chimaev’s timeline uncertain.

With both men in the top tier of the middleweight division but blocked from fighting each other outside of a title context, the UFC’s matchmakers face an interesting puzzle. Should either Allen or Chimaev secure a championship bout, their agreement means the other could find himself on the opposite side of the Octagon — friendship intact until the opening bell.