Anthony Hernandez vs. Brendan Allen 2: Odds, full fight preview and prediction | UFC Seattle

Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Middleweight contenders Anthony Hernandez vs. Brendan Allen will rematch this weekend (Sat., Feb. 22, 2025) inside Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle, Washington. at UFC Seattle.

Though I’m sure it’ll be discussed heavily on Saturday evening, I’d wager a fair amount of knowledgeable fight fans are unaware of Hernandez and Allen’s first bout. Way back in Jan. 2018, the two prospects competed for the vacant Legacy Fighting Alliance (LFA) Middleweight crown in a five-round fight. Hernandez was just 5-0 at the time, but he managed to upset the more experienced prospect (8-2) on the strength of his wrestling to capture the most prestigious regional title in the United States.

Their UFC careers have been rather different since that first meeting. Allen started hot and fought actively, climbing high up into the ranks quickly as a result. Hernandez struggled at first, but since then has put together an excellent six-fight win streak to prove himself a top talent.

Seven years later, the two face off again battle-tested and simply better. Let’s take a closer look at the betting odds and strategic keys for each athlete:

Hernandez vs. Allen 2 Betting Odds

• Anthony Hernandez victory: -298
• Anthony Hernandez via TKO/KO/DQ: TBD
• Anthony Hernandez via submission: TBD
• Anthony Hernandez via decision: TBD
• Brendan Allen victory: +240
• Brendan Allen via TKO/KO/DQ: TBD
• Brendan Allen via submission: TBD
• Brendan Allen via decision: TBD
• Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook

How Hernandez Wins

“Fluffy” is an excellent grinder and a smart fighter. jiu-jitsu, wrestling and cardio have been his best attributes for a long time, but Hernandez deserves credit in developing his kickboxing in a manner that really suits his grappling talents.

This is a fight between two men who are far more effective when able to push forward. Generally, they’re better at initiating offense than countering. For Hernandez, the advantage that should allow him to lead the dance is his wrestling superiority. Crashing forward is no problem for “Fluffy,” who wants to grind for takedowns from the clinch and on the legs anyway.

In the first bout, Hernandez thoroughly out-wrestled Allen, and there’s no reason to think he cannot do it again. He’ll want to be aggressive in working behind his jab to get Allen near the fence, but he can make “All In” much less dangerous by forcing him into a grimy grappling match. Between the two, Hernandez holds the cardio edge, so even if takedowns are difficult to come by early, committing to the takedown will likely pay off over time.

How Allen Wins

Allen isn’t a perfect fighter, but he’s developed dangerous offense in every area of the game. He’s a finisher, capable of breaking down opponents or catching them with a single slick setup.

As mentioned, Allen wants to be moving forward as well. His advantage in leading the dance is that he’s the more powerful hitter. Overall, his stand up is simply more dynamic than Hernandez, even if it’s perhaps not as consistent. Simply put, if somebody is going to land a first-round knockout, the more likely bet is “All In.”

Perhaps the most important part of this match up is mental. Allen has the skills to compete with Hernandez everywhere, but that was also true of his most recent match up versus Nassourdine Imavov. When he started getting jabbed up, he really fell apart strategically, diving for bad takedowns when he was still landing decent shots standing.

Hernandez already beat Allen once, and Allen cannot let that affect him. If Allen finds himself on bottom, he has to stay focused and continue to make good decisions, otherwise his chances at victory plummet.

Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC

Hernandez vs. Allen 2 Prediction

It’s hard not to think history repeats itself.

The biggest differential between the two remains Hernandez’s pace and wrestling. Plus, his game is just so nicely put together, whereas Allen is just vaguely dangerous in all facets of MMA. Hernandez’s ability to funnel exchanges into the type of fight in which he thrives pairs well with Allen’s good everywhere approach. It means that “Fluffy” will likely get the wrestling match he wants, the one he was able to dominate all those years ago.

Allen likely needs a first round finish to avoid getting blanketed … and better strikers have tried to take out Hernandez quickly.

Prediction: Hernandez via decision

Remember that MMAmania.com will deliver LIVE round-by-round, blow-by-blow coverage of the entire UFC Seattle card right here, starting with the ESPN+ “Prelims” matches online, which are scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. ET, before the main card start time at 9 p.m. ET (also on ESPN+).

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