The race to determine the next challenger for UFC middleweight champion Khamzat Chimaev was already complicated before UFC Vancouver. But when Brendan Allen shook things up by stopping Reinier de Ridder in the main event at Rogers Arena, the title picture became even murkier. With none of the top contenders currently booked, the question now is: what comes next for the division’s elite in the aftermath of UFC Fight Night 262?
Khamzat Chimaev vs. Nassourdine Imavov
When Reinier de Ridder’s corner chose to stop the fight after four grueling rounds in Saturday’s main event, Nassourdine Imavov (17-4 MMA, 9-2 UFC) effectively secured his spot as the division’s No. 1 contender. He was already widely considered next in line to challenge Khamzat Chimaev (15-0 MMA, 9-0 UFC), but there was still a lingering belief that “RDR” might jump ahead with a dominant performance in front of the Canadian crowd.
That possibility is now gone, and “The Sniper” appears all but guaranteed to be the next challenger for the middleweight title.
Brendan Allen vs. Caio Borralho
Opportunity knocked for Brendan Allen (26-7 MMA, 14-4 UFC) when Anthony Hernandez withdrew from Saturday’s No. 1 contender fight against Reinier de Ridder just three weeks before the event. Few people gave “All In” much of a chance against the former ONE Championship titleholder, but the dominant way he handled the Dutchman definitely turned some heads.
Still, with recent losses to both Nassourdine Imavov and Hernandez in the past 13 months, Allen is unlikely to jump into the title conversation just yet. However, Saturday’s victory should earn him a high-profile matchup in his next appearance. A logical pairing would be No. 7–ranked Caio Borralho (17-2 MMA, 7-1 UFC), who suffered his first UFC defeat at the hands of Imavov at UFC Paris in September.
These two also have some history—they faced off earlier this year in a grappling match at Karate Combat 53.
Reinier de Ridder vs. Sean Strickland
After a blazing start to his run at 185 pounds, Reinier de Ridder (21-3 MMA, 4-1 UFC) finally hit a wall in dramatic fashion on Saturday. The towering Dutchman looked like a shadow of his former self against Brendan Allen and based on how drained he appeared at Friday’s weigh-ins, he may now be seriously considering a move up to light heavyweight.
If he decides to stay at middleweight and build on the momentum he created with four wins in his first eight months with the UFC, a matchup with Sean Strickland (29-7 MMA, 16-7 UFC) would make a lot of sense. The former champion is expected to be eligible to return from suspension in early 2026.
Dricus Du Plessis vs. Anthony Hernandez
When he defeated Roman Dolidze to push his winning streak to eight back in August, “Fluffy” Hernandez (15-2 MMA, 9-2 UFC) cemented himself as a legitimate contender at 185 pounds. His withdrawal from Saturday’s matchup against Reinier de Ridder may turn out to be only a brief setback, and one more high-profile victory should put him right back in the title conversation.
The same can be said for Dricus Du Plessis (23-3 MMA, 9-1 UFC). His loss to Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 319 in August was decisive, but “Stillknocks” remains a top-tier fighter with true championship pedigree.
