Brendan Allen claims Nassourdine Imavov did not want their fight scheduled for five rounds.
Allen (24-5 MMA, 12-2 UFC) takes on Imavov (14-4 MMA, 6-2) in a three-round fight, which co-headlines UFC Fight Night 243 on September 28 at Accor Arena in Paris.
Headlining the event will be a lightweight banger between Benoit Saint Denis and Renato Moicano, but Allen is baffled by that matchup getting a higher billing than his.
“Some people just need all the deck in their favor to try and win, but it’s not going to be enough,” Allen told MMA News. “I’m still going to win. I accepted the five rounds. I asked for the five rounds. I’ve heard the explanations, but I still don’t agree or understand it. It’s above my pay grade. I think it’s bullsh*t that (Nos.) 10 and 12 guys are main event over (Nos.) 4 and 7, where we have title contentions that are possibly surrounding our fight.”
The UFC has booked numerous five-round co-main events of late, and Allen thinks his fight with Imavov is high-stakes enough to warrant the same treatment.
“I think it’s kind of a b*tch move that he doesn’t want to accept five rounds,” Allen said of Imavov. “Even as a co-main, he doesn’t want to accept five rounds. You want to fight for the belt? You want to stake your claim? Like, that’s how you do it. You go out there and win a five-round fight, even if it doesn’t go five rounds.
“You still took it, you were still ready for that, you get extra money for it. I don’t fully understand the reasoning, but I understand their logic. Some people just need all the cards in their favor as much as possible to win, but it’s not going to be enough.”
