LAS VEGAS – Brendan Allen is set to clash with a jiu-jitsu ace, but he is confident his abilities on the mat stack up nicely.
At UFC Fight Night 220, Allen (20-5 MMA, 8-2 UFC) meets Andre Muniz, who is undefeated through five appearances in the promotion. The fight will serve as the event’s co-main event, which airs live Saturday on ESPN+.
Muniz (23-4 MMA, 5-0 UFC) is a very dangerous opponent on the mat who racked up three straight first-round armbar submissions across 2021-22. Allen isn’t concerned with Muniz’s BJJ skills, because he believes everything he does well counteracts where Muniz is best.
“I feel he’s good at certain positions,” Allen told reporters at Wednesday’s media day. “Some transitions he does is a little different, but from the jiu-jitsu aspect, MMA jiu-jitsu and sport jiu-jitsu is totally different. I understand his positionings, I understand what he’s looking for, I understand what he’s trying to do, and I understand his intentions. I feel like many guys haven’t before, and I also don’t feel those guys were just very competent in that area.
“So, I think he’s met his match for that aspect of his game, which is his best aspect – and some of his best positions on the ground are also some of my best defensive positions on the ground. So, it’s very interesting. If he can get it there, it’s very interesting, and I look forward to testing that.”
Allen is currently on a three-fight winning streak that includes two rear-naked choke submission wins over Sam Alvey and Krzysztof Jotko. Also, half of Allen’s UFC wins have come by submission, so he’s extremely confident he can hold his own and dictate where the fight goes against the threats on the mat from Muniz.
“I’m pretty good everywhere,” Allen said. “I’m not just a one-trick pony. I’m not just good at one thing. I can do it all, and I’m going to beat him wherever the fight goes. I’m there for 17 minutes of focus, 15 minutes of beating him up. If he can’t take it for 15 minutes, that’s fine. That’s great, that looks great for me. Either way, I’m bringing something totally different than he’s seen before.”
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 220.
