Overview
- UFC officials confirmed Allen will face de Ridder in a five-round headliner on Oct. 18 at Rogers Arena in Vancouver.
- Hernandez withdrew due to an undisclosed injury and apologized on Instagram, offering no timetable for his return.
- De Ridder is 4-0 in the UFC with a recent split decision over Robert Whittaker and is currently ranked No. 4 at middleweight.
- Allen enters ranked No. 11 after a unanimous decision win over Marvin Vettori, following losses to Hernandez and Nassourdine Imavov.
- Fans panned the replacement on social media, Paulo Costa said he was offered the slot but asked for three rounds, and the bout’s eliminator stakes are now uncertain with Imavov viewed as the frontrunner.