Brendan Allen sparred with Khamzat Chimaev during training camp visit

Brendan Allen made a visit to a training camp recently and found himself sharing the cage with Khamzat Chimaev, the two middleweights engaging in sparring sessions that were captured on video and shared publicly. Allen appeared to acknowledge the encounter with a humorous tone, though no details about how the rounds played out were disclosed.

Allen, ranked fifth in the middleweight division at 30 years old, carries a 26-7 record and has built a reputation as one of the more well-rounded fighters in the weight class. The American, who trains out of Kill Cliff FC, stands six-foot-two with a 75-inch reach and lands 3.59 significant strikes per minute at 53 percent accuracy. He also averages 1.56 takedowns and 1.1 submission attempts per 15 minutes, making him a threat across all phases.

Chimaev, the number-one ranked middleweight and number-10 fighter pound-for-pound, represents a steep step up in any training room scenario. The 32-year-old, who fights out of Allstars Training Center and represents the United Arab Emirates, holds a 15-1 record and is widely regarded as one of the most physically dominant fighters in the sport. At the same height and reach as Allen, Chimaev lands 4.04 significant strikes per minute at a striking accuracy of 60 percent, and his grappling numbers are exceptional — 5.29 takedowns per 15 minutes alongside 1.8 submission attempts.

Why it matters

• Allen is ranked fifth at middleweight, while Chimaev sits at number one, making this a high-profile training room pairing with divisional relevance
• Both fighters share identical physical dimensions — six-foot-two, 75-inch reach — which adds an interesting dynamic to any sparring exchange
• Chimaev's elite takedown volume would present a significant test for Allen's submission-oriented grappling game