Brendan Allen Breaks Silence on Popularity Struggles Despite His Achievements Ahead of UFC Vegas 122

‘All-In’ returns to the Octagon this Saturday to take on Christian Leroy Duncan in the main event of UFC Vegas 122. Is the Covington, LA native satisfied with where he stands? It appears not.

Brendan Allen Opens Up About the Bitter Side of His Fighting Life

When Allen defeated Edmen Shahbazyan at UFC Vegas 118, many believed the win would earn him a much bigger fight in the middleweight division. However, things didn’t unfold as he had hoped, and he now understands why. 

While speaking to MMAFighting, the 30-year-old admitted that despite staying active in the Octagon, his social media presence remains quiet, “My social media is super low. People don’t really say much about me unless it’s (expletive deleted,) but you kind of like it that way though, right?”

“I mean, having a bigger following means more asses in the seats, which means bigger fights and bigger opportunities in sponsorships and fights. There’s many guys that have gotten bigger fights they shouldn’t have got based off of their talent, or their merit as far as fighting-wise, but they get it because they have a big social media following, which means they have a big viewership, which means they bring eyes. More eyes mean more money, like, that’s the business,” said Allen. 

Brendan Allen Keeps it Low-Key

‘All-In’ expressed that he is simply a man who appears to be “not that likable.” However, that doesn’t stop him from giving his best in every fight. For him, as long as he is getting paid and can get by, that’s enough.  For Brendan Allen, fighting is a way to provide for his family, not chase fame. Staying under the radar also allows him to enjoy outings with his wife and children without being recognised by fans at every turn.

However, greater visibility could open doors to lucrative sponsorships, grow his social media following, and improve his chances of climbing the UFC rankings. In a promotion where star power can influence matchmaking and career progression, Allen’s lack of mainstream popularity could limit opportunities despite his performances inside the Octagon.

“Yeah, it’s tough,” Allen said. “It’s hard because it’s like, my résumé is better than, f*ck, I would say 90 or 95 percent of the roster, and just guys come in and get good sponsorships or good opportunities, and I’m just sitting over here like, ‘Damn, must be nice.'"

Brendan Allen’s path to a title shot remains uncertain, but his next test against Christian Leroy Duncan offers another chance to strengthen his case. Duncan enters the bout with five consecutive wins and an 8-2 UFC record, most recently defeating former title challenger Jared Cannonier by decision at UFC Oklahoma City in July.

Allen could draw inspiration from teammate Belal Muhammad, who faced similar hurdles before finally capturing the welterweight title against Leon Edwards at UFC 304 in July 2024.  That said, while Allen is looking at the bigger picture here, his opponent believes he can jump through the race.

Christian Leroy Duncan Has a Title Shot in His Sights After Brendan Allen Fight

With a career record of 15-2, the Brit is riding a five-fight winning streak in the UFC. Unlike Allen, a submission specialist, ‘CLD’ thrives on striking, having won 10 of his 15 fights by knockout. His last two outings have been equally impressive, with victories over Roman Dolidze and Jared Cannonier. Now, with the Allen fight looming, ‘CLD’ believes a title shot could be just around the corner.

“I fought Roman being a Top 15 fighter, Cannonier being a Top 10 fight, and now Brendan Allen being a Top 5, so the natural progression from that would be a former champion,” Duncan explained ahead of the matchup.

The middleweight division is stacked with monsters like Joe Pyfer, Nassourdine Imavov, Dricus Du Plessis, Khamzat Chimaev and reigning champion Sean Strickland.

‘CLD’ believes he can take on the division’s top dogs, but his last two fights went the distance rather than ending in finishes. If he struggles against the division’s elite, his title aspirations might be a little too ambitious for now.