Brendan Allen: I can beat Sean Strickland in every aspect

Brendan Allen is itching for a rematch with Sean Strickland and believes he now holds a significant edge over the man who defeated him in 2020. Allen (27-7) suffered that early-career loss to Strickland when he was just 25, but has since developed into a legitimate middleweight contender while Strickland has ascended to champion status—winning the title twice, most recently against Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 328. Allen's confidence stems from his recent impressive performance: a unanimous decision victory over Edmen Shahbazyan, whom Allen considers a technically superior version of Strickland. "[Strickland] is the same guy that I fought then, and I'm not," Allen told Home of Fight. "Not even close to the same guy. I'm more mature, I'm older, more of a vet." Allen attributes much of Strickland's success to an unorthodox backward-leaning striking style that creates awkward angles rather than superior fundamental technique. Allen believes the stylistic lessons he has learned and the overall growth in his fighting acumen give him the tools to outclass Strickland across all facets of competition. A title bout between the two would offer Allen a clear path to avenging his loss while challenging Strickland's recent dominance.