The UFC is back on the road this Saturday in Vancouver, Canada, for yet another Fight Night card. The stakes couldn’t be bigger, though, regarding Saturday’s main event. It’s a five-round non-title fight between Reinier de Ridder and Brendan Allen at middleweight.
De Ridder (21-2 MMA) will look to continue his quest up the divisional ladder in search of a title shot with a win against Allen (25-7 MMA). Upon transitioning to the UFC this past fall, de Ridder has looked nothing short of nearly flawless through his first four UFC fights. His momentum continued this year with a 3-0 run, which began in January. Wins against fellow contenders Kevin Holland (28-14, 1 NC MMA) and Bo Nickal (7-1 MMA) before being matched up with former UFC Middleweight Champion Robert Whittaker (27-9 MMA) in July.
In a stunning twist to the middleweight division, de Ridder earned a decision win over Whittaker, which not only proved to the rest of the division that de Ridder had arrived as a key contender, but that a middleweight title shot was well within reach.
As de Ridder seeks his fourth win this year, the pressure couldn’t be greater for him to deliver. But a similar message can be said for Allen, who told UFC.com this week that he couldn’t be in a greater position to capitalize on solidifying himself as a top contender in the division.
“So, to go out here and put a stamp on with a great performance over de Ridder just puts me right back in number four in the world,” Allen said. “And, who knows, maybe Chimaev says my name because he wants a real test. And worst case scenario, we get Dricus (Du Plessis) next, and I beat him up.”
Brendan Allen reacts to his win in a middleweight bout during the UFC Fight Night event Saturday, June 24, 2023 at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Fla. Brendan Allen defeated Bruno Silva by way of submission in the first round. [Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union] / Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK
Allen says that despite taking the fight on short notice, his confidence level couldn’t be higher given the hype de Ridder came in with upon entering the UFC.
“He comes from a different promotion, two-division champion, and stylistically, I just feel it’s a good matchup for me,” Allen said. “So, when the fight came about, it was just something that I had to jump on, seeing as I’ve been asking to fight him over and over and over.”
The card follows a nearly identical format to last weekend’s event, as the prelims get underway at 4 p.m. ET/1 p.m. PT, followed by the main card at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT on the ESPN App and ESPN+.
Below are the betting odds and bout order for Saturday’s event, which takes place at Rogers Arena. Odds are courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook Friday afternoon and are subject to change.
Jeff Bottari-Zuffa LL
Main card (7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT: ESPN+, ESPN App)
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Preliminary card (4 p.m. ET/1 p.m. PT: ESPN+, ESPN App)
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