Brendan Allen continued his surge up the middleweight pecking order on Saturday when he submitted Bruno Silva at UFC on ABC 5.
Allen (22-5 MMA, 10-2 UFC) extended his winning streak to five fights with a standout effort against Silva (23-9 MMA, 4-3 UFC) in the main card opener at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Fla.
After showing he was more than capable of hanging with Silva on the feet, Allen connected with a combination that led to a knockdown. He methodically chipped away at his Brazilian foe on the ground before taking the back and locking up a rear-naked choke for the tap at the 4:39 mark of Round 1.
Check out the replay of Allen’s handiwork below (via Twitter):
BRENDAN ALLEN TURNS THE TABLES!!!!!! 😳😳😳@BrendanAllenMMA | #UFCJacksonville pic.twitter.com/AZwcKyzxDG
— UFC (@ufc) June 24, 2023
3️⃣ RNCs in a row.
5️⃣-fight win streak. @BrendanAllenMMA making a statement to open the main card action on @ABCNetwork! #UFCJacksonville pic.twitter.com/Hn1hjUdd9U— UFC (@ufc) June 24, 2023
Following his win, Allen made it clear he’s looking ahead at a championship fight in 2024, and said he thinks he’s the biggest threat to 185-pound titleholder Israel Adesanya.
“I’m the youngest guy in the top 15 with the most fights – I will be the next champion,” Allen said in his post-fight interview with Daniel Cormier. “The only guy able to threaten the actual champion everywhere. Izzy, in 2024 I’m coming.”
Up-to-the-minute UFC on ABC 5 results include:
- Brendan Allen def. Bruno Silva via submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 1, 4:39
- Neil Magny def. Phil Rowe via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
- Randy Brown def. Wellington Turman via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
- Mateusz Rebecki def. Loik Radzhabov via TKO (punches) – Round 2, 2:36
- Tabatha Ricci def. Gillian Robertson via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27)
- Joshua Van def. Zhalgas Zhumagulov via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
- Chepe Mariscal def. Trevor Peek via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
- Jack Jenkins def. Jamall Emmers via split decision (27-30, 29-28, 29-28)
- Sedriques Dumas def. Cody Brundage via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 30-27)
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ABC 5.
