UFC Vancouver: De Ridder vs Allen – Can ‘RDR’ punch his ticket to a middleweight title shot?

The UFC middleweight championship picture makes for fascinating viewing right now, with brand new champion Khamzat Chimaev sitting at the top of the division, and a handful of talented contenders vying for a shot at the gold.

Last month France’s Nassourdine Imavov staked his claim for the first crack at Chimaev’s title when he defeated Caio Borralho by decision in Paris, France. And this weekend in Vancouver, Canada, the attention turns to two more middleweights with big plans for the future.

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Former two-division ONE Championship world champion Reinier de Ridder has his sights set on a title fight after making a perfect start to life in the UFC. 

Tale of the tape: Reinier de Ridder vs Brendan Allen

Reinier de Ridder: Can ‘RDR’ make himself undeniable at 185 pounds?

Dutch middleweight contender Reinier de Ridder is no stranger to big fights. During his career in ONE Championship he quickly became one of the best fighters on the roster as he surged to two-division championship glory. 

De Ridder captured titles at 205 and 225 pounds under the ONE Championship banner, but his attempt to capture the heavyweight crown fell short as he was stopped by Anatoly Malykhin, who went on to stop him again for the light heavyweight belt. 

But, despite those losses, “RDR” had already proved his elite skills, with his grappling proving to be some of the most effective we’ve seen in MMA over the past 10 years.

In 2024, De Ridder dropped down to 185 pounds and took his skills to the UFC, and immediately showcased his submission abilities with a third-round arm-triangle choke finish of noted grappler Gerald Meerschaert, then a first-round rear-naked choke finish of the well-rounded Kevin Holland. 

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He then halted the Bo Nickal hype train, but in that fight he showed his striking arsenal as he broke down the former collegiate wrestling phenom with nasty knees to the body.

Those wins demonstrated how dangerous De Ridder is at 185 pounds, but he proved his championship credentials in his last fight when he took on former champion Robert Whittaker in July. After a tightly-contested fight, De Ridder ran out the winner via split decision.

“RDR” was all set to take on fellow contender Anthony Hernandez in a clash between two fighters who were considered top contender material, but after Hernandez was forced out of the matchup, Brendan Allen stepped in. 

Nothing much changes for De Ridder, however. He needs to win, and win impressively, to jump the queue and earn the next shot at the middleweight title.

Brendan Allen: Can American contender go ‘all in’ and gatecrash the title picture?

Someone once said it’s better to be lucky than good. But Brendan Allen is both. The American has been on the fringes of middleweight contention for a while now. 

But his recent fights with Nassourdine Imavov and Anthony Hernandez both ended in decision defeats as he fell short against two potential title contenders in the division.

It meant that Allen found himself outside of the top bracket of contenders, needing a big win to break into that elite group. 

But, following the news of Hernandez’s withdrawal from this weekend’s event, Allen got the call to step in on short notice, and now “All In” is going all-in as he looks to hand De Ridder the first loss of his UFC career and push himself to the front of the middleweight queue in the first place.

His career has seen him claim a string of submission victories – 14 in all – but in his last outing, a rematch against Marvin Vettori, Allen showcased his boxing skills as he outstruck the Italian contender at UFC 318 to claim an important decision victory and keep himself on the cusp of contention.

Now he intends to make his short-notice opportunity count in the biggest fight of his UFC career.

Reinier de Ridder vs Brendan Allen: The key factors

It might not be the matchup the UFC’s matchmakers originally wanted for this event, but the stylistic clash between De Ridder and Allen is every bit as fascinating as the originally-booked De Ridder-Hernandez bout.

Both men have submission-first skillsets, with both fighters having claimed 14 career wins by submission. It means that if the action goes to the mat, it will be crucial to establish a dominant position in order to make those grappling exchanges count. 

From watching the pair in previous matchups, De Ridder looks to have the more dominant ground game, with the big Dutchman able to smother his opponents and completely shut them down on the ground. 

Allen, meanwhile, also has excellent jiu-jitsu, but doesn’t rely on his size and strength to drag the action to the ground as much as De Ridder.

Whenever you have two fighters with excellent ground games going head-to-head, it can often result in much of the action taking place in the stand-up. 

And, in pure boxing terms, Allen looks the sharper, slicker striker. De Ridder’s striking looks rather more rudimentary, and doesn’t carry the same speed or snap, but he’s particularly dangerous in the clinch, where his knees and elbows can be a real danger for his opponents.

Also a factor in the stand-up is the reach, and that’s where De Ridder has the edge. He’s taller, and has a three-inch reach advantage, and that could help give him a crucial advantage. 

Allen will need to use his speed and sharpness to get in and out of exchanges without being clipped, but De Ridder will look to counter that with size and strength. 

Whether he’s striking or grappling, the big Dutchman will want the action up close, while Allen will likely prefer to keep things on the outside until his strikes create an opening to switch to his grappling.

It’s a really interesting stylistic matchup between two fighters with similar skillsets, and similar finishing rates. But the crucial differences come in size and experience. 

De Ridder is the bigger, stronger man, and he’s fought at a higher level over the course of his career, and in heavier weight categories, too. 

His ONE Championship world titles at 205 and 225 pounds showed his ability to overwhelm bigger, stronger opposition. 

Plus, that championship experience also means that, with a potential title shot on the line, De Ridder won’t be overwhelmed by the importance of the occasion. He’s also the fighter who has had a full training camp, while Allen has come in on short notice. 

FIRST.com's top tip for Reinier de Ridder vs Brendan Allen

In a fight that on paper looks like a pretty close fight between two well-matched opponents, De Ridder has the edge in most of the key factors, and is the common-sense pick for this main event matchup.

PICK: REINIER DE RIDDER TO WIN @ 4/9 (Ladbrokes)

Extra tips

There’s not too much value to dig out of this UFC Vancouver card, but one bout that jumped off the page as a possible side bet option was the bantamweight matchup between Canada’s Charles Jourdain and England’s Davey Grant. 

Jourdain is talented, but inconsistent, and has lost two of his last three, while Grant is in excellent form, having won his last two outings. 

Despite this, the Canadian is the betting favourite for this fight. Grant is a live dog in this matchup, and the 11/8 odds represent good value for a small side bet. 

PICK: DAVEY GRANT TO WIN @ 11/8 (Ladbrokes)

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Odds correct at the time of writing.