Brendan Allen indicates Dricus du Plessis as next target after UFC Vegas 122 win

Brendan Allen is looking past his UFC Vegas 122 win and toward the one opponent he believes makes the most sense: former champion Dricus du Plessis. Speaking after the event in Las Vegas on Saturday, Allen indicated he has wanted the fight for some time and suggested the timing is right to push for it.

Allen’s comments frame the next phase of his run in terms of progression and clarity. In his view, a matchup with du Plessis is not just a big-name fight, but also the kind of step that would align with where he thinks he belongs within the middleweight picture. With the promotion always calibrating matchups around rankings and title-path implications, Allen’s public call for du Plessis also functions as a directive to matchmakers.

Du Plessis, a former champion, carries the sort of resume that tends to tighten the title conversation even when a fight is not immediately labeled as a championship eliminator. If the two reach an agreement, it would also be a stylistic measuring stick for Allen against an opponent who has repeatedly shown the ability to pressure in the center and force opponents into uncomfortable stretches.

For Allen, the appeal appears rooted in a straightforward idea: if a fight can deliver both relevance and momentum, it should be pursued as soon as the door opens. He suggested there is “no better time” to make the bout than now, implying that his UFC Vegas 122 result gives him the leverage and the spotlight to press the argument publicly.

The practical question that follows is whether the UFC will match Allen with du Plessis next, or whether du Plessis will be routed to a different strategic landing spot. Without an official bout announcement, Allen’s naming of du Plessis should be treated as a clear preference, not a confirmed next assignment.

Still, in a division where contendership is built through high-visibility matchups, Allen putting du Plessis at the top of his list matters. It indicates that he views his current standing as close enough to the center of the middleweight conversation that he is no longer interested in incremental steps.

What to watch next is confirmation, either from UFC matchmaking or from du Plessis’s response, that the two sides are seriously engaging. If talks move forward, the fight would quickly become one of the most compelling matchups available for fans looking for a direct line between current contenders and the championship picture.