Brendan Allen blasts UFC rankings panel: 'I'd literally tell them go f*ck themselves'
09/26/2024 11:00 AM
Brendan Allen believes he deserves more respect — especially from those involved with compiling the official UFC rankings.
Allen meets Nassourdine Imavov in the co-main event of Saturday's UFC Paris event. According to the UFC rankings, Allen is ranked No. 8 despite being on a seven-fight win streak inside the octagon — which is four spots below Imavov, a winner of two straight.
"Yeah, it's crazy, man, I'm the only guy on the win streak that I'm on that falls places in the rankings," Allen told MMA Fighting. "When guys above me are on losses, or consecutive losses — I don't even know, but I know there are losses — so it's just whatever. Like, it's kind of comical at this point.
"I don't even know who's on the board panel, but if anyone told me they were on the rankings [panel], I would never have a conversation with them, ever. I'd literally tell them go f*ck themselves."
Allen is currently one spot behind Imavov in MMA Fighting's Global Rankings — which encompasses all MMA promotions, and not just the UFC.
With a lot of chatter about upcoming middleweight fights, and the stakes that surround them, the fight between Allen and Imavov doesn't seem to be in the same conversations. After seeing fighters like Belal Muhammad and Merab Dvalishvili play the long game, become undeniable, and then cash in on their world championship opportunities, "All In" believes his time will come — but that doesn't mean it's not a little bit frustrating.
"I think for me, it's just I don't have the followers that a lot of these other guys have," Allen explained. "I don't have the time, nor the want to do what Americans have to do in order to get those followers. I'm not willing to go out here and act crazy. I'm not willing to go out here and f*cking troll everyone, because it's everywhere we go. Everywhere I go, I'm going to end up having a problem with someone because everyone gets [upset] about anything you say. So I don't want have a problem with someone everywhere I've got to go, especially if I bring my wife with me, or if I bring my kids with me.
"I just try to mind my business and stick to myself and let my fighting do the talking because at the end of the day, the person off [the top of] my head that I could think of that did that was Robbie Lawler and he's one of the most loved people in the sport right now — he was, and still is — by the company, by the fans. He's one of the most respected and loved guys. So I feel like if I stay true to myself, then everything that I'm hoping for will hopefully come.
"I just wish I could get the money without the fame kind of thing. I don't know, I'm just... sometimes, I just don't think I'm built for that life."
