Brendan Allen steps in at RAF 14 as Michael Page withdraws 13 days after UFC bout

Michael Page’s post-UFC debut has been delayed after the welterweight veteran withdrew from RAF 14, where he had been scheduled to face Russian veteran Alexander Shlemenko. Brendan Allen steps in as a late replacement, making his RAF debut on October 23 at Fontainebleau Las Vegas.

A person with knowledge of the promotion’s plans told MMA Fighting that Page’s withdrawal came down to “timing,” with no injury cited. Allen’s appearance is particularly notable given the compressed schedule: the surging UFC middleweight contender will face Shlemenko just 13 days after his own main event bout against Christian Leroy Duncan.

Also added to the card is Bella Mir, who returns to the RAF mat to face Hope Chase in a middleweight contest. Mir’s most recent outing came on Dana White’s Contender Series, where she was stopped by Alex Apodaca in what was described as the biggest upset in the show’s history. She had previously debuted for RAF at RAF 3 in November, suffering a loss to Alexis Gomez.

Chase, a veteran of Invicta and LFA, makes her RAF debut with momentum behind her. The fighter known as “Hurricane” has won her last three MMA bouts, most recently submitting UFC veteran Pannie Kianzad for Fusion Fight League in August.

RAF 14 is headlined by Arman Tsarukyan vs. Dillon Danis, with Khamzat Chimaev taking on Robbie Lawler in the co-main event.