Former ONE Championship titleholder Reinier de Ridder and streaking UFC contender Brendan Allen clashed in a high-stakes middleweight main event on Saturday night at UFC Vancouver, in a matchup that carried immediate implications for the division’s title picture.
The #4 ranked de Ridder was originally scheduled to face Anthony “Fluffy” Hernandez in the main event, but Hernandez withdrew due to injury. Allen stepped in on short notice, seizing the opportunity to challenge the highly ranked middleweight in Vancouver.
De Ridder (21-2) made his UFC debut last November and quickly established himself as a top contender. Riding a four-fight winning streak with victories over Kevin Holland, Gerald Meerschaert, Bo Nickal, and former champion Robert Whittaker, a win at UFC Vancouver would have strengthened his case for a title shot against Khamzat Chimaev.
Allen (25-7) accepted the short-notice bout against de Ridder, betting on himself to secure a second straight victory. The middleweight had previously seen a seven-fight win streak snapped with back-to-back losses in 2024, but bounced back with a bonus-winning performance against Marvin Vettori in July.
Round 1 – De Ridder opened with a single-leg attempt, but Allen stuffed it and landed a knee before pressing him against the fence.
Allen worked from the clinch, looking for body shots and a potential takedown, but de Ridder reversed the position beautifully and took top control. He immediately began setting up an arm-triangle choke and smoothly transitioned into mount.
De Ridder methodically tightened the choke, but Allen stayed composed and managed to slip free. As Allen turned belly-down to defend, de Ridder transitioned to back control and locked in a body triangle.
Allen continued to roll from belly-down to his back to fend off the choke, but de Ridder remained in dominant position, actively attacking the neck. Allen stayed patient and survived, but the opening round was clearly de Ridder’s.
De Ridder landed a few punches from the back, prompting Allen to protest what he believed were shots to the back of the head, but the round ended before he could mount any offense.
Round 2 – De Ridder started the second round targeting the body with kicks, but Allen immediately responded with sharp boxing combinations, putting pressure on the Dutchman. De Ridder closed the distance and initiated the clinch, once again hunting for takedown opportunities.
Allen fought off the takedown as long as he could, but de Ridder methodically dragged him to the canvas. However, this time Allen quickly reversed the position and took top control, landing strikes from above.
From his back, de Ridder stayed active, threatening submissions while absorbing ground-and-pound. Allen maintained control and landed clean elbows, keeping damage flowing even as de Ridder tried to use his legs to create space and attack.
Round 3 – Allen came out aggressively to start the round, immediately landing strikes on de Ridder. De Ridder shot for a single-leg takedown, and although Allen tried to scramble free, he was ultimately dragged to the mat. De Ridder worked to secure back control, but Allen initially defended well.
However, de Ridder eventually took the back, locked in a body triangle, and began attacking the neck with more than four minutes still remaining. Allen managed to spin into him and reverse the position, ending up on top.
From there, Allen began landing ground-and-pound on a visibly fatigued de Ridder. As Allen stood to continue striking from top, de Ridder threatened an inverted triangle choke — but Allen stayed composed and escaped the submission attempt.
Round 4 – Allen wasted no time in the fourth round, immediately shooting in, lifting de Ridder, and taking him to the canvas. De Ridder looked visibly exhausted as Allen maintained dominant top control with relentless pressure.
De Ridder tried to use his legs to create space, but Allen remained composed, continuing to score with steady ground-and-pound. He even threatened a straight armbar, though de Ridder had just enough left to defend.
Allen closed the round firmly in control, landing strikes until the horn sounded.
De Ridder was unable to answer the bell for the fifth round, and the fight was waved off.
Brendan Allen’s gamble paid off.
Official Result: Brendan Allen def. Reinier de Ridder via R4 TKO, 5:00
