Brendan Allen isn’t too impressed with the UFC middleweight champion’s performance, Dricus du Plessis.
Despite currently holding the 185-pound title and maintaining an undefeated record in the Octagon, Allen doesn’t see du Plessis as the rightful champion of the division. He believes du Plessis had a stroke of luck leading up to his title win. Although the results may not paint the entire picture, Allen thinks du Plessis’ actual performance indicates otherwise.
“Did Whittaker look like his usual self in that fight? I mean, he was finished within the first minute and a half,” Allen commented on du Plessis’ record on MMA Junkie Radio. “Whittaker didn’t display his usual energy or speed. He seemed flat-footed and stiff. That’s a win. It’s part of history. You can’t take that away. He certainly achieved it. However, leading up to that point, for sure, 1000 percent, the truth is that he had an easy journey and kept losing every fight until he turned it around and won.”
“Some of them were fortunate. Marcus Perez (du Plessis) was losing that fight and (Perez) was taking him down so easily that (Dricus) landed a body shot and won too easily. At the same time, I hit him with a spinning back elbow, and it caught him on the jaw. I couldn’t have been luckier.”
Allen will be back in the octagon for the main event of UFC Fight Night on April 6th at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. He is set to face his long-standing rival, Marvin Vettori, in a crucial middleweight battle. If he defeats Vettori, Allen believes the UFC should grant him a title shot or at least set up a fight against the top contender.
The bout with Vettori will mark Allen’s third main event appearance in the UFC. He is confident in his ability to go the distance and doesn’t view it as a challenge going forward, even if du Plessis is in the picture.
“I always train at full throttle,” Allen remarked. “There’s no other way for me than to give it my all. That’s why taking a few months off between camps works well for me. When I train, there’s no option but to push myself. I’ve done 5 rounds in the past, and I’m prepared for 5 more. So that’s nothing new. Getting ready for 3 to 5 rounds doesn’t change much for me.”
