Brendan Allen has criticized Dricus Du Plessis for opting to face former UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman instead of taking on him, insisting that the South African chose the easier matchup.
Allen made the comments after earning his fourth victory in his last five fights on Saturday, submitting Christian Leroy Duncan in the fifth round of the main event at UFC Vegas 122.
Speaking to reporters at the post-fight press conference, the 30-year-old middleweight contender questioned Du Plessis' willingness to face the toughest available opposition and argued that Usman's past accomplishments should not overshadow his recent standing in the sport.
“Well, most of those guys don't want to fight, they don't want to really be challenged, I think we see that with the matchups that they get, you know? Like Dricus,” Allen said.
“Everyone's hyping up Kamaru because of his resume. Yes, he has a great resume, he is one of the best to ever do it at welterweight off of his accolades, that's true. But we're not there anymore. We're not! We're very far past that and father time will get every single one of us if we stay in this game long enough.”
Allen then claimed that Du Plessis would have faced a much tougher challenge against him, pointing to his physical attributes, hunger and technical ability as reasons he believes he represents a more dangerous opponent.
“(Usman) was an easier fight than me, there's no questioning that,” Allen added.
“You could say what you want, you could think what you want, I'm younger, I'm hungrier, I'm bigger, I'm faster, I'm stronger. (He has more) experience, he's just got more title fights, but (total) amount of fights I've got probably close so I'm tough, you know, I think I'm technically better. But that's just my opinion.”
Despite acknowledging Usman's considerable experience and championship pedigree, Allen remained adamant that he was the more difficult matchup for Du Plessis.
The American also suggested that the former middleweight champion was aware of the difference in difficulty between the two potential opponents.
“By the way, no matter what, no matter how you cut it, at this point in time or at that point in time, I was the harder fight. No questions about it. So he took the easier fight. He knows it. I know it. Everyone else knows it,” Allen concluded.
Allen's latest victory strengthens his position in the middleweight division as he continues to pursue a shot at the UFC title. His criticism of Du Plessis also adds another layer to the competitive landscape at 185 pounds, with the American making it clear that he believes he deserves consideration against the division's biggest names.
