Uh oh.
No. 4-ranked Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Middleweight Reinier de Ridder will look to clinch a title shot this weekend (Sat., Oct. 19, 2025) when he faces the always-tough Brendan Allen in the main event of UFC Vancouver, taking place inside Rogers Arena in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
Originally, de Ridder was slated to meet Anthony Hernandez in what many viewed as a title eliminator and the true next contender. But after Hernandez withdrew, Allen stepped in on short notice
— and the shake-up might have major implications for the division’s title picture.
That’s because Nassourdine Imavov, the No. 2-ranked contender, recently extended his win streak to five with a unanimous decision victory in Paris. That run — the second longest in the division — includes a knockout over former champion Israel Adesanya (watch highlights), making Imavov the presumed frontrunner to challenge newly crowned king Khamzat Chimaev.
Apparently, that’s not the case, and the French fighter is getting passed over.
“Yeah, Imavov is not getting the shot — that’s why they haven’t announced it,” de Ridder revealed during UFC Vancouver media day (watch here) when asked about Chimaev’s next opponent.
When pressed on whether he knew something behind the scenes or was simply manifesting a dominant win to make himself undeniable, de Ridder smiled and replied, “Both.”
After Imavov’s win over Caio Borralho at UFC Paris, he dismissed any talk of being passed over, insisting his resume spoke for itself.
“I’m not even worried,” Imavov said at the time. “You have to realize, no one did what I did over the last year — five opponents, five top-10 guys, two finishes. No one did that.”
It’s safe to say he might want to start worrying now. If de Ridder defeats Allen impressively in Vancouver, Imavov’s title hopes could evaporate — so, he might find himself cheering for his former opponent this weekend.
Remember that MMAmania.com will deliver LIVE round-by-round, blow-by-blow coverage of the entire UFC Vancouver fight card, starting with the ESPN+ “Prelims” matches online, which are scheduled to begin at 4 p.m. ET, before the main card start time at 7 p.m. ET (also on ESPN+).
To checkout the latest and greatest UFC Vancouver: “de Ridder vs. Allen” news and notes be sure to hit up our comprehensive event archive right here.
