Brendan Allen slams Dricus du Plessis over Kamaru Usman fight before UFC Vegas 122

Brendan Allen has lambasted former UFC middleweight champion Dricus du Plessis, reigniting their rivalry. He's often accused du Plessis of evading a potential fight against him. 

Allen's jibes come ahead of his highly anticipated return to the Octagon at UFC Vegas 122. He has indicated that he's more than open to a clash against du Plessis to settle their feud. 

Brendan Allen faces Christian Leroy Duncan at UFC Vegas 122; Dricus du Plessis eyes UFC middleweight title

Currently, Brendan Allen is booked to take on Christian Leroy Duncan in a highly anticipated middleweight showdown. The American combatant and his British counterpart will headline UFC Vegas 122 at the Meta Apex in Las Vegas on October 10. 

Allen stands at the No. 5 position in the UFC middleweight division, per the official Meta UFC rankings. Meanwhile, Duncan is at No. 10 on that list. Their fight's winner could receive a number-one contender matchup next. 

On the other hand, Dricus du Plessis has been on a quest to recapture the UFC middleweight championship he lost last year. He was outpointed by Khamzat Chimaev last August, who, in turn, was outpointed by Sean Strickland this May. 

Strickland's expected to defend the middleweight belt in a rematch against Nassourdine Imavov next. He's also engaged in a highly publicized pay-related dispute with the UFC brass. Meanwhile, du Plessis, who has beaten Strickland twice, is seemingly next in line for a title shot. 

Brendan Allen slams Dricus du Plessis over accepting "easier" fight with Kamaru Usman

Speaking to Shakiel Mahjouri for UFC on Paramount, Brendan Allen unleashed a barrage of criticism against longtime rival Dricus du Plessis. He recalled the South African's most recent fight, which saw du Plessis defeat ex-UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman via unanimous decision in their middleweight matchup in July. 

Allen, who's long been calling for a fight against du Plessis, stated, "At this point, I just need him to fight me. If you win, you win. If you lose, you lose. But I still have respect for you that you finally stepped in there." 

The American suggested that he'd always respect anyone who fights him, irrespective of whether they fight at the smallest or highest level. "All In" asserted that the only way for du Plessis to gain his respect is to fight him, but he also affirmed that neither he nor "DDP" are likely to crave one another's respect. 

The 30-year-old said, "I know he's had the opportunity to fight me, and he took the easier route. He can say whatever he wants. It's a fact. We were supposed to fight, and somehow it got worked that Kamaru's name got thrown in there. And, obviously, Kamaru is a bigger draw; even though, like you said -- he's older, upper weight class." 

Implying that du Plessis avoided a potential fight against him and chose Usman, a career welterweight who's significantly older than Allen, the latter explained: 

"He (Dricus du Plessis) took the easier fight. Plain and simple. He took the easier fight. We all know. Everyone knows it was the easier fight. I'm bigger. I'm stronger. I'm faster. I think I'm more talented." 

Allen implied that people might cite Usman's achievements to suggest he's better, but he believes that Usman wouldn't last five rounds against him. He reiterated, "So yeah, I think he (Dricus du Plessis) took the easier fight. I still think he is a b**ch." 

Watch Brendan Allen sound off against Dricus du Plessis below (*comments at the 11:03-minute mark of the video):