Brendan Allen continues to do what he does best: overwhelm and suffocate opponents. Allen secured his fourth consecutive rear-naked choke victory by tapping out Paul Craig in the main event of UFC Fight Night on Saturday.
Allen vs. Craig was intriguing on the surface: two talented grapplers willing to brawl. Round 1 featured dynamic submission attacks from both men but Allen was generally the better fighter. Allen landed the harder punches and controlled the top position in each frame. Early into Round 3, Allen rocked Craig with a combination of punches before latching onto his signature submission.
Allen sits on the edge of the UFC’s official middleweight Top 10, but he’s determined to rocket up the division.
“I’m trying to fight man. I want the No. 1 contender,” Allen said during his post-fight interview. “I’m the best in the world and I’m here to prove it. If you say otherwise come show me, don’t tell me.
“I’m not even in my prime yet. I’m coming and I’m a f—ing problem.”
Allen (23-5) is quickly establishing himself among the best chokers in the game. Allen is now on a six-fight winning streak and has stopped five of those opponents with rear-naked chokes. He is ranked No. 10 as a UFC middleweight and is primed to make a run at the elite. Craig (17-7-1) is 1-1 since dropping to middleweight after a 10-year career at light heavyweight.