Dricus Du Plessis takes aim at Brendan Allen and questions the timing of a Strickland-Khamzat rematch

UFC 328’s title scene is still echoing, and Dricus Du Plessis is not letting it fade quietly. The UFC middleweight champion, speaking in Oklahoma City about the promotion’s current booking direction, mocked Brendan Allen as the kind of matchup that should not be taking priority. Du Plessis also pushed back on Khamzat Chimaev’s desire for an immediate rematch against Sean Strickland, describing the rematch framing as nonsensical.

The context for Du Plessis’s remarks is straightforward. Chimaev, who challenged for and lost the 185-pound title to Strickland atop UFC 328 in Newark last May, has publicly emphasized that he wants to run it back quickly. According to the reporting, a quick rematch is unlikely to happen on schedule due to an injury, which has pushed the timing further into the calendar than Chimaev and his camp would prefer.

Du Plessis’s criticism goes beyond the calendar problem, however. In the same discussion, he characterized the idea of a Strickland-Chimaev rematch as “ridiculous,” implying that the UFC middleweight picture should not be rushed back into a storyline centered on the same two men so soon after the title change. In other words, he is treating the immediate-rematch demand as a distraction from what he views as the division’s legitimate competitive order.

That is where Brendan Allen enters the conversation. Allen is positioned in the sport’s middleweight conversation as a top contender, but Du Plessis disputed the merit of that momentum. The reporting frames Du Plessis’s comments as a rejection of Allen’s threat level, including language that Allen’s performance or status is “horrible.” The criticism functions as both a personal jab and a public attempt to shape how matchmakers and fans interpret the queue of challengers behind the champion.

The duel over narrative matters in the UFC because it influences how quickly fighters can convert momentum into opportunities. When contenders talk up rematches, they are often arguing that the ranking and matchmaking should follow a straight line from title results. When champions push back, they are pushing a different principle, one that prioritizes fresh challengers and uninterrupted championship reign storylines.

At this point, the most concrete takeaway is that the middleweight title picture is being reshaped not only by performance, but also by health and timing. Chimaev’s rematch desire is still on the table in principle, but the reported injury-related delay suggests the UFC may have to manage a longer gap between the Newark finish and a new championship showdown.

For fans, the key watch items are simple. First, whether the UFC and the contenders behind Du Plessis align around a single next step, or whether the division stays split between a rematch-first camp and a contender-first camp. Second, how Allen responds to Du Plessis’s public dismissal. Third, whether the promotion commits to a middleweight path that keeps the belt active through the remainder of the year, even if the Strickland-Chimaev rematch does not arrive as soon as Chimaev wants.