MMA fans likely have an extra something to be thankful for this fall now that the UFC has announced its Nov. 18 main event.
An intriguing middleweight bout between Brendan Allen (22-5 MMA, 10-2 UFC) and Paul Craig, new to the division, will be at the top of the marquee for the Fight Night event at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.
UFC officials announced the headliner Tuesday on Instagram. Broadcast details have not yet been announced, but the event is likely to air and stream on a combination of ESPN and ESPN+.
Allen has five straight wins, including four by rear-naked choke. The former LFA middleweight champ came to the UFC through Dana White’s Contender Series and has not disappointed with a 10-2 record. His current 5-0 run is his best yet in the promotion and has him on the cusp of title contention.
Scotland’s Craig was on a tear with four straight submission wins at light heavyweight, but ran into a two-fight skid, including a knockout loss to Johnny Walker in January. So he made the move to middleweight in July and it paid off with a second-round TKO of Andre Muniz. The result is an opportunity in his first UFC main event.
With the addition, the UFC’s Nov. 18 lineup now includes:
- Brendan Allen vs. Paul Craig
- Luana Pinheiro vs. Amanda Ribas
- Ottman Azaitar vs. Darrius Flowers
- Jordan Leavitt vs. Chase Hooper
- John Castaneda vs. Kyung Ho Kang
- César Almeida vs. Christian Leroy Duncan
- Nick Aguirre vs. Payton Talbott
- Nikolas Motta vs. Trey Ogden
