Allen vs. Whittaker? ‘Reaper’ All Out

Brendan Allen won his sixth straight fight — five of which ended by submission — by tapping out Paul Craig in the UFC Vegas 82 main event last weekend in Las Vegas, a victory that pushed “All In” to No. 8 in the official middleweight rankings.

But was Allen’s performance good enough to score a showdown against former UFC middleweight champion Robert Whittaker?

“I’m pretty sure he said my name. I’m pretty sure in his speech he said he wants to fight a contender, he wants to fight either me or (Jared) Cannonier,” Whittaker said on his official podcast (transcribed by MMA News). “I think he’s number 10 now, he’s obviously just broken into those top guys. I don’t know, I’m not a matchmaker. Paul Craig wasn’t a tenth-ranked dude, he wasn’t in the top 10 rankings. He’s gotta have his bite still, I guess, the top 10 fights. Just do your work. UFC realize that, recognize that. The matchmakers are there. I don’t know who he fights next. To be honest, I don’t care.”

The 27 year-old Allen (23-5) has yet to face anyone ranked in the Top 10 of the middleweight division but that is expected to change with his next fight.

As for Whittaker (24-7), who turns 33 in less than a month, he’s looking to rebound from a technical knockout loss to Dricus Du Plessis at UFC 290 back in July. “The Reaper” is currently ranked No. 3 at 185 pounds and remains without an opponent.

For now.