Brendan Allen

Overview

Eight of Brendan Allen's 16 UFC wins came by submission, and the most recent one landed at 2:46 of round 5 in a main event. The middleweight is 16-4 in the UFC (28-7-0 across all promotions) and goes into his next fight on a four-fight win streak.

Submissions are the headline, but the rest of the record fills in the picture. Two wins came by KO/TKO and six went to the scorecards, so ten of his 16 wins ended in a finish. Four of those finishes came in the first round.

UFC Career

Allen's path to the UFC ran through Dana White's Contender Series, where he submitted Aaron Jeffery in the first round in July 2019. That was a professional win but not part of his UFC record. His UFC debut followed that October, a second-round submission of Kevin Holland. He added a first-round TKO of Tom Breese and a decision over Kyle Daukaus to start 3-0.

Then came the first real setback. Sean Strickland stopped him in the second round in November 2020. He bounced back with two wins, a submission of Karl Roberson and a decision over Punahele Soriano, but Chris Curtis knocked him out in the second round in December 2021. Those two KO/TKO losses are the only times he has been finished in the UFC.

What followed was his longest run: seven straight wins, a UFC-career best. It opened with a second-round submission of Sam Alvey and a decision over Jacob Malkoun. Then came Krzysztof Jotko by submission, and the biggest win of the stretch, Andre Muniz in a main event. Our model rates Muniz as an elite opponent. He then submitted Bruno Silva and Paul Craig, the latter in 38 seconds of the third round. The streak ended with a split-decision win over Curtis in a five-round rematch, so the one man who had knocked him out was beaten on the scorecards.

Two unanimous decision losses followed, to Nassourdine Imavov and Anthony Hernandez. Both opponents rate as strong in our model.

The current streak began with a decision over Marvin Vettori. He then stopped Reinier de Ridder, another elite opponent, by TKO at the end of round four in a five-round main event. A decision over Edmen Shahbazyan came next, then a fifth-round submission of Christian Leroy Duncan, another main event against an elite opponent.

Three wins over elite opponents, all in main events. That is the résumé.

Fighting Style

Brendan Allen is a submission hunter first. He looks for finishes on the mat more than almost anyone in the UFC, and his takedown defense is strong, so opponents have a hard time putting him on his back. He shoots for takedowns at a typical rate.

His striking is solid but not a separator. He lands and absorbs at about the UFC average, and he is accurate with what he throws. He is easier to hit than most, which fits the two KO/TKO losses on his record.

The finishing pattern matches that profile. Eight of his 16 UFC wins came by submission: three in round one, two in round two, two in round three and one in round five. Four of his finishes overall came in the first round, and three of his submissions came in the third round or later. His two KO/TKO wins came in rounds one and four.

Notable Wins

• Andre Muniz — submission, round 3, UFC Fight Night: Muniz vs. Allen (2023)
• Reinier de Ridder — TKO, round 4, UFC Fight Night: de Ridder vs Allen (2025)
• Christian Leroy Duncan — submission, round 5, UFC Fight Night: Allen vs Duncan (2026)
• Paul Craig — submission, round 3, UFC Fight Night: Allen vs. Craig (2023)

Quick Facts

• Division: Middleweight
• UFC record: 16-4 (10 finishes, 8 by submission)
• Professional record (all promotions): 28-7-0
• UFC debut: 2019
• Stance: Orthodox
• Height / reach: 6'2" / 75"
• Team: Kill Cliff FC
• Born: Beaufort, SC, United States