Brendan Allen visits Khamzat Chimaev's camp and spars in cage

Brendan Allen made a visit to Khamzat Chimaev's training camp, with video footage surfacing on April 14, 2026, showing the two middleweights sharing the cage together for a sparring session.

Allen, ranked fifth in the UFC middleweight division, carries a 26-7 record and trains out of Kill Cliff FC. The 30-year-old American stands six-foot-two with a 75-inch reach and has built a reputation as a well-rounded threat, averaging 3.59 significant strikes per minute at 53 percent accuracy while also posing a consistent grappling danger with 1.56 takedowns and 1.1 submission attempts per 15 minutes.

Chimaev, the number-one ranked middleweight and number-ten pound-for-pound fighter in the world, enters any sparring room as one of the most feared training partners in the sport. The 32-year-old, who represents the UAE and trains at Allstars Training Center in Sweden, holds a 15-1 record and produces some of the division's most dominant numbers — 4.04 significant strikes per minute at a staggering 60 percent accuracy, paired with 5.29 takedowns per 15 minutes. He and Allen share identical frames at six-foot-two and a 75-inch reach.

The camp appearance is notable given that Allen had previously made comments about Chimaev, though the footage shows the two working together without apparent friction. Specific details about how the sparring session unfolded were not disclosed in the original report.

Why it matters

• Allen is ranked fifth, Chimaev first — any competitive sparring between them carries clear divisional weight
• A potential matchup between two identically sized orthodox middleweights with high-volume striking and active grappling would be a closely contested stylistic clash
• The visit signals a willingness from both fighters to test themselves against elite middleweight competition ahead of their respective next assignments