No. 4-ranked Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Middleweight Reinier de Ridder will look to clinch a title shot this weekend (Sat., Oct. 19, 2025) when he faces the always-tough Brendan Allen in the main event of UFC Vancouver, taking place inside Rogers Arena in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
Originally, de Ridder was slated to meet Anthony Hernandez in what many viewed as a title eliminator and the true next contender. But after Hernandez withdrew, Allen stepped in on short notice — and the shake-up might have major implications for the division’s title picture.
When pressed on whether he knew something behind the scenes or was simply manifesting a dominant win to make himself undeniable, de Ridder smiled and replied, “Both.”
“I’m not even worried,” Imavov said at the time. “You have to realize, no one did what I did over the last year — five opponents, five top-10 guys, two finishes. No one did that.”
It’s safe to say he might want to start worrying now. If de Ridder defeats Allen impressively in Vancouver, Imavov’s title hopes could evaporate — so, he might find himself cheering for his former opponent this weekend.
Remember that MMAmania.com will deliver LIVE round-by-round, blow-by-blow coverage of the entire UFC Vancouver fight card, starting with the ESPN+ “Prelims” matches online, which are scheduled to begin at 4 p.m. ET, before the main card start time at 7 p.m. ET (also on ESPN+).
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