Whereas MMA‘s prime promotion, the UFC, has a number of exhibits left earlier than sending 2024 to the historical past file, the group is already onerous at work at filling slots for playing cards within the early portion of 2025. Saturday, throughout UFC 309, the UFC introduced its provisional slate for January by means of March of subsequent yr.
Whereas not each date that contains a UFC card in Q1 of the brand new yr has a number area as but, there can be 11 occasions between Jan. 11 on the UFC Apex and March 29 at an undisclosed venue. Tuesday, a rematch from the LFA was confirmed to happen on the UFC’s final present in February.
Hernandez Meets Allen For Second Time on Feb. 22
Feb. 22’s UFC present presently has simply three fights locked up for the night, together with a tussle at 185 lbs. that’s been near seven years within the making. No. 9 contender Brendan Allen (24-6 MMA, 12-3 UFC), makes his thirty first stroll to the cage in his profession to shut out the yr’s shortest month towards No. 13 contender Anthony Hernandez (13-2, 1 NC MMA, 7-2 UFC.)
MMA Mania’s Alex Behunin tweeted out Tuesday afternoon that Hernandez and Allen could be making the stroll to the Octagon in a while this winter.
🚨Rematch!🚨
Brendan Allen will battle Anthony Hernandez on February 22, 2025, per sources
The UFC occasion is eyed for Seattle pic.twitter.com/w1HMRZPycp
— Alex Behunin (@AlexBehunin) November 19, 2024
Though the host metropolis for this explicit card has not been formally introduced at press time, Behunin’s message on X (previously Twitter) talked about that the promotion is aiming for the Feb. 22 UFC Struggle Evening (UFC Struggle Evening 250) to be held in Seattle, WA.
The Sequence So Far…
Heading into the Feb. 22, 2025 rematch between Allen and Hernandez, the all-time sequence between these two males stands at 1-0 in favor of the latter. Again on Jan. 26, 2018, Hernandez made his LFA promotional debut versus Allen, scoring a unanimous determination victory after 5 rounds to take the LFA Middleweight Championship throughout LFA 32’s headlining bout on AXS TV.
How will chapter two play out? We’ll know on the finish of February.
Allen Seeking to Rebound
Brendan Allen will enter his Feb. 22 battle versus Hernandez having posted a mark of 4-1 over his final 5 fights courting again to Feb. 25, 2023. Again in September, he sustained a unanimous determination loss to Nassourdine Imavov (15-4, 1 NC MMA, 7-2, 1 NC UFC) in UFC Paris.
Earlier than the Sept. 28 occasion. the No. 9 contender at 185 had scored seven straight wins. Forward of UFC Paris, Allen had been ranked at No. 8 within the weight class, one thing that he took offense to, saying:
“I’m the one man on the win streak that falls within the rankings. When guys above me are on losses or consecutive losses, I don’t even know, however I do know there are losses, so it’s simply no matter. Like, it’s nearly comical at this level.”
Hernandez Coming In Sizzling
Within the different nook, Anthony Hernandez comes into his subsequent battle on a 5-0 report in his final 5 fights. At present, he’s on a six-fight successful streak courting again to 2021. Only a month in the past, he scored a fifth-round knockout by means of floor and pound pictures towards Michel Pereira (31-12, 2 NC MMA, 9-3 UFC) on the UFC Apex.
The Oct. 19 battle was a makegood of a cancelled bout between the 2 males from Sept. 14 in order that it could possibly be rescheduled for final month. After that battle, he referred to as out UFC CEO Dana White for a high-stakes affair.
“That’s simply what I anticipated,” Hernandez mentioned of the win over Pereira. “I had no nerves all week. Like I’ve been telling you guys, I’m prepared for my belt, I’m out of my very own means. Simply give me regardless of the (expletive deleted) it takes. Dana, you’ve at all times given me powerful (censored) fights. Give me somebody that’s going to provide me a title shot. I’m prepared. I’ll show it to you.”
Whereas Hernandez must wait a short time longer for a shot on the UFC Middleweight Championship, a victory on Feb. 22 of subsequent yr might deliver him a step nearer towards his final aim, the final word prize at 185 lbs.
