UFC Vancouver just got a major shake-up with middleweight contender Anthony Hernandez being forced to withdraw from his scheduled clash with Reinier de Ridder, paving the way for Brendan Allen to step in on short notice.
It’s not clear what exactly forced Hernandez to pull from the bout, but it wasn’t a total surprise. Middleweight contender Paulo Costa began posting on X about being offered a short-notice bout against a top middleweight earlier in the day.
Paulo Costa insinuates that he got offered RDR on short notice after Fluffy pulled out…. #UFCVancouver pic.twitter.com/zUb77yqZW2
— Cageside Press (@Cagesidepress) September 16, 2025
Costa insinuates that he was offered de Ridder, but asked for three rounds with the lack of time to prepare. Seems like RDR said no and the promotion moved on to Allen instead.
The change did not get a welcome reception from fans as many were very upset they weren’t getting the perceived #1 contender fight between RDR and Fluffy. De Ridder now takes on #11 contender coming off a decision victory over Marvin Vettori, but having a recent two-fight losing skid.
“I mean it’s a fine fight but to go from RDR – Fluffy to RDR – Brendan Allen is a pretty sizable downgrade in terms of hype,” one X user said.
“Nobody wants to watch Brendan Allen man. F*ck this,” another posted.
Now the questions begin. Is Allen a big enough opponent for de Ridder to beat and leapfrog Nassourdine Imavov for the next title shot? If Allen wins does he become the #1 contender?
In a stacked middleweight division with a new champion with Khamzat Chimaev at the top, this new main event brings many more questions than it does answers.
