Brendan Allen gives UFC champ Du Plessis a 'puncher's chance' against him: 'He beats me nowhere else'

LAS VEGAS – Brendan Allen thinks he’s better than Dricus Du Plessis everywhere.

Streaking middleweight contender Allen (23-5 MMA, 11-2 UFC) runs things back with Chris Curtis (31-10 MMA, 5-2 UFC) in Saturday’s UFC Fight Night 240 (ESPN+) main event at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.

As Allen edges closer to title contention, he likes how he matches up with UFC middleweight champion Du Plessis (21-2 MMA, 7-0 UFC). He’s not sold on Du Plessis’ title win over Sean Strickland at UFC 297.

“I think he was given that – I don’t think he took it from the champion,” Allen told MMA Junkie and other reporters. “In my eyes, you need to take the belt from the champion. I think a prime example is Sean vs. Izzy (Adesanya).

“He went out there, he gave him the fight. It was a five-round fight and he gave it to him the whole time. Did he finish him? No, but he still took it. There was no debating the fact that he beat Izzy. I don’t think you can say the same for Sean and ‘Dickess.'”

Allen went as far as saying Du Plessis only beats him if he lands a lucky punch.

“If I get my opportunity, which obviously someone is going to have it before me, I think it’s an easy night in the office,” Allen said. “I don’t mean easy as in it’s a walk in the park. Every fight is a fight – it’s tough. Anything can happen. But as far as stylistically on the matchup, he has what everyone else has: a puncher’s chance. He beats me nowhere else.”

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 240.