“More immature mentally,” Rising contender Brendan Allen reveals what went wrong in his first bout against champion Sean Strickland

Brendan Allen is confident he can defeat the current champion, Sean Strickland. He believes he was a lot immature when they first met in the octagon in 2020.

“More immature mentally,” Rising contender Brendan Allen reveals what went wrong in his first bout against champion Sean Strickland

Brendan Allen believes that he was immature in his bout against Sean Strickland(via EuroSport/Imago)

Brendan Allen, the rising middleweight contender, shared his thoughts on his fight against the current champion, Sean Strickland. Allen talked about the fight in an honest post-fight interview following UFC Vegas 82. Allen, who is only 27 years old, has made waves in the MMA world, particularly in the middleweight division. His most recent triumph against Paul Craig became his sixth straight victory.

Brendan Allen acknowledged his improvement and maturity since their first encounter in November 2020. This revelation sheds light on the sport’s mental difficulties, emphasizing the need for mental fortitude and the learning curve that comes with the octagon experience. This is what he said:

I’ve been in there with Sean. I was a lot younger, I was a lot more immature mentally, and I think I was still winning that fight. I just made a bad audible, and I got caught.
Brendan Allen UFC Vegas 82 post-fight show 
YouTube video

Despite losing his first bout, Allen believed he dominated against Strickland. He blamed the loss on making a bad choice and getting caught. This demonstrates his self-awareness and the capacity to appraise his performance critically. This analytical attitude to his own failures demonstrates Allen’s dedication to growth and evolution as a fighter.

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Allen praised Strickland, acknowledging the champion’s title reign and appreciating him for his achievements. Allen’s post-fight observations reveal his progress, maturity, and commitment to secure a rematch with Sean Strickland. It also shows his growth, maturity, and determination to secure a rematch.

What happened the first time when Brendan Allen faced Sean Strickland?

Sean Strickland, the current reigning champion, fought Brendan Allen at  UFC Fight Night: Felder vs Dos Anjos. He secured a TKO victory against Brendan Allen in a catchweight contest. Strickland’s talent was displayed in the main card, representing an important turning point in his career.

A recap of the first Brendan Allen vs. Sean Strickland fight
A recap of the first Brendan Allen vs. Sean Strickland fight (via FightTime)

Strickland’s route to this victory is significant. He experienced adversity in the form of a two-year layoff due to a motorbike accident. Despite fighting on short notice, Strickland proved that his two-year absence from the octagon had minimal effect on his performance. The fight ended in the second round at 01:32, with Strickland landing a sequence of devastating blows that clearly hurt Allen. The following strikes emphasized Strickland’s decisive triumph.

Brendan Allen began the catchweight fight aggressively with his strong jab, setting the tone for a back-and-forth first round. As the bout continued, however, Strickland’s coaches saw a crucial problem in Allen’s defense: a lack of defensive responsibility. The observation proved crucial as Strickland took advantage of Allen’s lapse, eventually leading to the second-round finish.

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