Reinier de Ridder and Brendan Allen will battle for the next crack at the middleweight crown, currently held by Khamzat Chimaev, atop the upcoming UFC Vancouver fight card on ESPN+, locked and loaded for Sat.,
Oct. 18, 2025 inside Rogers Arena in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
De Ridder (21-2) was originally slotted to face 185-pound phenom Anthony Hernandez; however, “Fluffy” was injured and forced to withdraw, paving the way for Allen (25-7) to step in on (somewhat) short notice. “The Dutch Knight” is six years older than ”All In” at 35.
Watch them come face-to-face below:
De Ridder remains the odds-on betting favorite.
“I think I’ll break him because I’m better everywhere,” Allen said on social media. “I don’t think he can strike better than me. I don’t think he’s tougher than me. I don’t think his grappling’s better than mine. A lot of guys are scared of his grappling. I’m not scared at all. He’s pretty tough for a little while, but again, I don’t think he’s fought anyone like me.”
For the rest of the UFC Vancouver fight card and ESPN+ lineup click here.
