Brendan Allen says Dricus Du Plessis didn’t want the smoke. The middleweight contender accused the former champion of ducking him, and CBS Sports reported his summary of it in five words: “He took the easier fight.”
That line is the extent of what’s been published on the beef so far, so it isn’t clear which matchup Allen means or when the alleged swerve happened. What is clear is the timing. Allen headlines UFC Vegas 122 this Saturday, Oct. 10, at the Meta APEX, and he picked fight week to swing at a guy who isn’t on the card.
Where everybody stands
The 185-pound title picture is a knot. Du Plessis beat Sean Strickland twice in title fights, 50 combined minutes of it, then lost the belt to Khamzat Chimaev. Strickland then upset Chimaev at UFC 328 and walked out champion anyway. Du Plessis spent this week on Fight Forecast praising Strickland’s takedown defense and cardio, and he picked Strickland to beat Nassourdine Imavov again if that rematch happens.
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It probably will. Nothing is official, but Imavov is widely expected to get the next shot after five straight wins, a run that includes a knockout of Israel Adesanya, a win over Caio Borralho, and a decision over Allen. MMA Fighting reported there appears to be a financial hurdle holding that fight up, which is exactly the kind of crack a contender wants to wedge himself into.
Allen has 19 Octagon appearances, three straight UFC wins (most recently over Edmen Shahbazyan on June 6) and back-to-back submission finishes in grappling matches on the side. Most of his MMA wins have come by submission. Duncan, speaking to MMA Fighting, called him the No. 4 guy in the division.
The guy across the cage
Duncan has his own plans for Du Plessis. The former Cage Warriors champion is 3-0 in 2026, coming off a unanimous decision over Jared Cannonier in July, and a win Saturday would make it six in a row. He told MMA Fighting a title shot is on the table in his mind, and if it’s not, a former champ like Du Plessis “could very well be” next, ideally headlining the UFC’s London stop in the first quarter of 2027.
So Allen is calling out a man his opponent is also calling out, three days before they fight each other. Matchmakers, take notes.
One more fun bit of timing: KSW used its X account on Oct. 6 to mark the anniversary of Roberto Soldić beating Du Plessis at welterweight in 2018. Somebody in Poland is enjoying this week.
Quick take
I like a fighter who says the quiet part out loud, and Allen did. But duck accusations are only worth what the guy making them does next, and right now Allen’s last loss on the contender ladder is to Imavov, the man holding the next title shot. Beat Duncan on Saturday, preferably with one of those submissions, and “He took the easier fight” becomes a real argument. Lose, and Du Plessis never has to answer it at all.
