Notes and Quotes from Brendan Allen's UFC Fight Night 232 Post-Fight Press Conference

Ultimate Fighting Championship middleweight Brendan Allen extended his winning streak to six with a Round 3 rear-naked choke victory against former light heavyweight Paul Craig in the main event of UFC Fight Night 232 on Saturday.

Apart from almost getting caught in a calf slicer submission attempt from Craig in the first frame, Allen managed to put on a dominant showing against the Scot, battering and outgrappling his foe until he managed to secure the rear-naked choke 38 seconds into Round 3.

Following his main event victory on Saturday, “All In” sat down for a post-fight press conference interview with the media to discuss his performance and future aspirations as a Top 10 competitor in the middleweight division.

Here is a bullet-point recap of Allen's interaction with the media:

On his performance against Craig at UFC Fight Night 232:
“I'm pissed that I let him go under and try to go for that calf slicer. I didn't think he was gonna do it, so I didn't really focus too much on any of that. Lesson learned. I found my way out not even training that position but with muscle memory, I guess it is what it is. I got the win, so it is what it is. I think I did well outside of that one position. But it's a little stretched probably. I don't think it's anything major. I think I've had worse, but we'll go get it checked out and it doesn't matter either way. I wasn't planning to fight till April anyway. So, I'm ready to be MIA [missing in action] for a little bit. Don't hit my line unless you're Dana White, Dana Hunter or Mick, or Ali, y'all can hit my line, especially if it's money. If we're talking money, you can hit my line.”

On Craig's calf-slicer attempt and its after effects:
“Yeah, it's like a calf slicer, but a calf slicer kind of like implodes the knee. It puts like a fulcrum in between. But for some reason, I feel it more than just my ankle, but yeah, I know it's nothing major because as I sit down and then get up, it loosens up and it's pretty much normal. So, we'll just go get it checked out. Like I said, I felt it like a little pop, but that could be tendon stretching. Like I said, I've had way worse. I've torn ligaments in my feet and in my ankles multiple times through my times in jiu-jitsu. So I knew when it was popping that it was probably tendons or ligaments or whatever. I ain't no doctor, but I knew that's all he had on the extension in the pull. I felt him struggling to get harder and tighter, but I ain't no b—h.”

On how it feels to tap out Craig after the back-and-forth ahead of their meeting:
“I almost knocked him out too... Man, I don't worry about what people say. Any mouth can say anything. It's different when you're in there with me, it's different. When you feel how strong I am when you feel the technique that I have. Even, that was me being lazy and not giving him much respect in that position, that's the only reason he got it because I don't give him respect in that scenario. He's a triangle and armbar guy. I don't think you've seen him get one or even come close to one. So, look at his face and look at mine, we'll see who's got the better grappling. I think we answered that question just however long ago.”

On what prompted him to take the fight to the canvas despite success on the feet:
“I just felt it was easier there. I wasn't really in danger. I just had to be aware and, he didn't possess anything that I've never seen before. He wasn't strong. I was expecting more. Only thing he did good was he did the lockdown; he was longer so he could stretch it more. Other than that, that's really the only thing that I can recall that he did. Well, to be honest, he's tough. But I think at the end of the second when I got the rear-naked because in the first he wouldn't turn to his, his turtle or he wouldn't turn and give me his back. So I knew he didn't want to be there. But I knew in the second when he gave it to me and I slipped the choke in real quick, I told him when that round was up, “You got lucky, you got lucky!” But I knew when he went to his back again, he, he wanted out. I knew he wanted out. He's tough, but he wanted out. It's just that simple.”

On his gameplan coming into the bout:
“I thought he was gonna come out for a dog fight and I was willing to stand right there and let it go. Although that's in my heart, it'll always be there... I wanted to come out and I wanted to fight better. I didn't, maybe, maybe he was the better fighter, right? But I just had to fight better tonight. And I was trying to be smart and I was trying to dance on the outside, get my movement, make him miss, feel his energy and how he hits, his strength, his tempo. I was trying to feel that out. I try to play chess, not checkers and I think that's where the difference in levels lies and when I wanna turn it up, I can turn it up and when I want to bring them to my level, I can bring them to my level. And I think that's what makes me who I am after the fight.”

On whether he'd like to face Khamzat Chimaev or Robert Whittaker next:
“Either or whoever Mick, Hunter and Dana say that's who we're fighting. Whoever they say that ‘if you win this, you're guaranteed a title shot,’ that's who I'm fighting, name doesn't matter. I've worked my ass off to get here. I've sacrificed so much to get here in my personal life and every other part of my life. I'm gonna go home, I'm gonna go hunting. I'm gonna be a dad. We're gonna have a good time. We're gonna enjoy the holidays and come April or hopefully around that time. Hopefully UFC 300. I'm coming, I'm coming. ‘2024 and new,’ I still stand by that."

On how competing only twice a year helps him balance his personal life with mixed martial arts:
“I got to be home a little bit with my kids. Well, more than normal and, they're, they're the meaning of life. They're getting older, they're getting bigger. That's why it's so great to have her here. I can't wait for her sister to get old enough and have her here. But it makes me not wanna leave whatsoever. It makes me wanna be home more. It makes me feel like sometimes I wanna walk away from all this, it really does.The money is great. This feeling is great. Having my friends here with me is great but nothing on this planet will ever match that feeling that I get with them. They're the, they're the number one in my life over everything. And, yeah, that's what I'm chasing. I'm chasing these moments with that with that little one and her sister and, hopefully, more to come as well, whenever that happens. I've always wanted a big family. This is just a means to an end, the fighting. Yeah, it's great. I love to do it. I'm super competitive. I'm very blessed. I'm very thankful to be here. But it's a means to an end. I know what I want. I know what my final vision is for my life and their life and the moment I make that happen is the moment I walk out of here, no matter what happens. I know if everything plays out right by 35, I'm gone and, I'll go ahead and say it. Now y'all can put it on record. I'll walk out of here with a loss and I will never look back whatsoever. I know how competitive I am and, it'll take a loss after being a champion to walk out and I'll do it with a smile on my face, money in the bank and my kid having a great future ahead of her along with her sister. So, that's my goal. That's my plan and, I'm sacrificing now to get it because hopefully by the time she's 10 years old or less, daddy's her biggest cheerleader and we're traveling doing whatever it is that she finds that she loves and wants to do. And that's the ultimate goal.”

On wanting the UFC to come to Louisiana and the possibility of competing on a card alongside Dustin Poirier:
“I definitely want a UFC Louisiana. I don't care where it's at. Only guy that's gonna headline over me is that man that was out there. That's my boy. ‘The Diamond.’ He's a big motivation for me. Hopefully, next year we'll start working together more. Hopefully, I'll make him a part of my team even more. And man, I never have enough great things to say about that guy. So, he's a role model to so many in Louisiana. I'm trying to follow in his footsteps and do even better if it's possible. So hopefully me and him UFC Louisiana, anywhere in it, I'm gonna put on for the home team, put on for the boot and I hope we can do it.”

On what he said to Craig after securing the submission:
“I don't even remember. I told him he was tough. Like, yeah, thanks for, thanks for the fight. Tough guy, but like I said in the cage, my boy [Joe] Pyfer over there wants next. So, I feel bad for him if that's what happens. My boy Pyfer gonna light him up.”

Whether he has a specific card he'd like to compete on in April:
“I hope the UFC 300. I think that'd be a pretty cool event. I've, obviously, I've main evented now, done it on short notice before. I fought all of these guys. I think it'd be pretty cool. I don't have like this big social media following because I'm just a redneck, I guess. But that might help. I don't know. I don't know. But no, it'd just be cool to be a part of an event like that. Have a lot of eyes, a lot of things going on and yeah, my stuff will probably fly under the radar but again, it's just an experience. I'm trying to chase experiences because no matter what, I'm 27 I'm gonna be 28 in a month or so, I haven't even hit my prime yet. So, the best years, the best moments are still to come. I'm just trying to take one step at a time. Enjoy every moment, be in the moment because this could be gone tomorrow. It could be gone when I hop on a flight tomorrow. I don't know. But I'm just thankful to be here. I'm thankful to share with my friends, my kid and, just very thankful to be here."

On his teammate Impa Kasanganay's upcoming Professional Fighters League title fight:
“Impa! He's trained his butt off. I worked with him. He's got all the skills. I hope he just goes out there, sticks to his game plan, stays calm and just be Impa. Impa is good enough and I hope he goes out there and becomes a millionaire. I'm definitely rooting for him. We'll be watching... I really, really, really want him to win. I really want him to become a millionaire. He's such a good guy, a good person and I hope that for him and his family.”

Whether he alters his preparation for a fight inside the smaller Octagon at the UFC Apex:
“I feel like I've been here so many times. I'm probably the king of the Apex right now. I think I have the most fights. Maybe. I don't know these statistics by heart, but I think I have the most fights here now and, I can fight, I can fight anywhere. You pay me to fight, I'll fight in that parking lot, I'll fight in that room out there. So, the nerves are always there, of course. But again, I'm not scared of any man. I fear no man. I'm not scared to lose and I'm definitely not scared to win. I'm not scared to go to sleep and I'm not scared for something to break. So, I go out there and let the cards fall where they fall. And, big cage, small cage, it doesn't matter.”