Robert Whittaker Reroutes Brendan Allen From Dricus du Plessis to Khamzat Chimaev
Long before Brendan Allen extended his current winning streak to four fights at UFC Vegas 122, Dricus du Plessis was already on his radar.
After submitting Christian Leroy Duncan, the outspoken American doubled down on his desire to face the former middleweight champion, making his intentions clear in a post-fight callout.
Allen later revealed that a fight with DDP had once been in the works, only for the matchup to fall through. Now, with Allen renewing his push for that fight, former champion Robert Whittaker has a different opponent in mind for him: the Chechen marauder, Khamzat Chimaev.
That's not the only change Whittaker would make to the middleweight matchmaking picture, as he also has a compelling proposal for du Plessis.
Robert Whittaker Backs Brendan Allen To Challenge Khamzat Chimaev
Three months removed from his redemption win over Nikita Krylov at UFC 329, former UFC Middleweight Champion Robert Whittaker seems more than happy to play matchmaker himself, pitching some intriguing fights for the division.
While “The Reaper” has made it clear that his days at 185 lbs are behind him, his move to the UFC’s light heavyweight division hasn’t stopped him from keeping an eye on the middleweight picture. And he has a couple of ideas for Allen, Chimaev, and DDP.
During a recent episode of the MMArcade Podcast, the 35-year-old explained why he wants to see Allen share the Octagon with Chimaev.
He proposed, “A curious matchup looking at it here that I would like to see would be Brendan Allen vs Khamzat Chimaev because I think he negates the reach a bit; I think Brendan Allen’smore accomplished on the feet, but also his jiu-jitsu game might throw a spanner in the works in Chimaev’s dominant top control game.”
Allen has built an 11-2 UFC record, with losses to Nassourdine Imavov and Anthony Hernandez interrupting his progress before he put together his current four-fight winning streak. Now ranked No. 4 in the middleweight division, he sits two places below du Plessis and is pushing for a fight with the former champion.
Sizing Up Khamzat Chimaev
Chimaev, meanwhile, has been eager to run back his title fight with Sean Strickland following his first career defeat at UFC 328. However, a rematch does not appear to be immediately within reach, with Strickland seemingly on course for a second meeting with Imavov. That leaves room for Whittaker’s proposed matchup to enter the conversation.
Stylistically, Allen presents an interesting challenge for Chimaev. The Chechen fighter’s wrestling and suffocating top control have been central to his success, but Allen’s grappling could give him something different to deal with. Add Allen’s striking to the equation, and Whittaker sees a matchup worth making.
Whittaker Pitches DDP vs. Gregory Rodrigues as a "Beautiful Slugfest"
He isn’t stopping there. Whittaker also has a fight in mind for du Plessis, one that he believes would deliver the kind of high-level brawl fans would want to watch. His preferred opponent? Gregory “Robocop” Rodrigues (ranked No. 7).
“Doesn't Dricus vs. Robocop sound way better?” Whittaker asked rhetorically. “It’ll be a beautiful slugfest at the highest level, and that is something I want to tune in for. Neither guy is winning from that fight; they’re going to have to really whack it out.”
Rather than have Allen chase du Plessis, if it were up to him, Whittaker would match him with Chimaev and let du Plessis face Rodrigues in a striking-heavy contest. It is a reshuffle that could give the middleweight division two compelling matchups instead of one.
