When Anthony “Fluffy” Hernandez withdrew from this Middleweight fight due to injury I was crestfallen, but Brendan Allen (25-7-0) took the call and stepped up against the Dutchman, Reinier De Ridder (21-2-0). To quote one standout comment from social media about Allen as the stand-in for “Fluffy”: “This is like when you ordered a Coke and they bring you a Pepsi.” 

It’s a letdown of a matchup, especially when another replacement option might have been Paulo Costa (who wouldn’t agree to a five-round fight) and when the original version of the fight was widely considered a worthy title eliminator: Hernandez’s cardio and chain wrestling would have been a better test for RDR than Allen’s striking skills, notoriously watered down by weak fight IQ. 

There’s been a lot of shade thrown on RDR this year–that the Bo Nickal fight was a joke of a matchup, that his split-decision win over Whittaker was a robbery–but the haters have to admit that the man’s been active. This bout in Vancouver will be his fourth fight this year. If nothing else, RDR stays ready and keeps the knees to the body coming. 

Here’s hoping RDR’s next fight is more of a banger–I’d love him to match against DDP given their unorthodox styles–but good for the Dutchman on getting paid. 

👊🏻Reinier “RDR” De Ridder Key Stats:

2.95 Sig. Strikes Landed/minute

2.44 Sig. Strikes Absorbed/minute

50% Sig. Strike Defense

66% TDD

27% TD Accuracy

👊🏻Brendan “All In” Allen Key Stats:

3.85 Sig. Strikes Landed/minute

3.96 Sig. Strikes Absorbed/minute

47% Sig. Strike Defense

56% TDD

41% TD Accuracy

Vegas Odds: Reinier De Ridder (-215), Brendan Allen (+164)

Man Alive’s Pick: Renier De Ridder

Holland (28-14-0) is coming in on a loss, but what’s one loss when you’ve already fought four times this year–and may have a sixth in you before the end of 2025?

Holland took a fair bit of damage against Daniel Rodriguez in his last fight in July, and could probably use a little more time to recover, but compared to his one-month turnaround in the summer (between his fight against Vicente Luque and D-Rod), three months of time off before fighting Malott is luxurious. I wouldn’t be surprised if Holland fights one more time before the end of the year. 

Malott (12-2-1) was generally considered a hot prospect in the Welterweight division until snatching defeat from the jaws of victory against Neil Magny at UFC 297: he got subbed in the twilight of round three, gassing out in the third round after being on track to win the fight. The Canadian has since rebounded from the loss, winning his last two bouts–against Trevin Giles last November and Charles Radtke this past May. 

Malott has something to gain by beating Holland, but Holland has nothing to lose here. If Holland shows up in classic form, odds are he smokes Malott and enjoys a pre-Black Friday payday to boot. 

👊🏻Kevin “Trailblazer” Holland Key Stats:

4.3 Sig. Strikes Landed/minute

3.22 Sig. Strikes Absorbed/minute

50% Sig. Strike Defense

55% TDD

38% TD Accuracy

👊🏻Mike “Proper” Malott Key Stats:

4.09 Sig. Strikes Landed/minute

3.22 Sig. Strikes Absorbed/minute

54% Sig. Strike Defense

16% TDD

56% TD Accuracy

Vegas Odds: Kevin Holland (+118), Mike Malott (-150)

Man Alive’s Pick: Kevin Holland