At Rogers Arena (Vancouver, Canada), Brendan Allen defeated Reinier de Ridder via corner retirement after Round 4, piling up control and damage on the mat. In the co-main, Mike Malott beat Kevin Holland by unanimous decision after a stop-start first round, and Aiemann Zahabi took a split decision over Marlon “Chito” Vera, sparking debate online.
Main event — how Allen took over
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The arc: De Ridder started well, but Allen found his cadence through clinch entries, mat returns, and steady top pressure. By the end of R4 the momentum and damage were clear, leading de Ridder’s corner to wave it off on the stool.
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Tactical read: Allen’s win came from layering chain wrestling, denying scrambles, and smothering de Ridder’s choke threats once the pace set in.
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Aftermath: Allen called for a push toward the middleweight summit and a fast track to a title eliminator.
Co-main & controversy
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Mike Malott vs. Kevin Holland — UD: the Canadian prevailed, though two low-blow sequences in Round 1 triggered chatter about potential point deductions. Malott framed them as accidental; Holland vented on social afterward.
The night’s “SD”
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Aiemann Zahabi vs. Marlon Vera — Split Decision: razor-thin margins. Zahabi’s cleaner connections across three rounds swayed two cards; a chunk of fans scored it for Vera, who voiced his frustration.
Official results — UFC Vancouver (top to prelims)
Main Card
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Brendan Allen def. Reinier de Ridder — corner stoppage (retirement) after R4
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Mike Malott def. Kevin Holland — unanimous decision
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Aiemann Zahabi def. Marlon Vera — split decision
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Manon Fiorot def. Jasmine Jasudavicius — TKO, 1:14 R1
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Kyle Nelson def. Matt Frevola — unanimous decision
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Drew Dober def. Kyle Prepolec — KO/TKO, 1:16 R3
Prelims
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Charles Jourdain def. Davey Grant — submission (RNC), 3:05 R1
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Aoriqileng def. Cody Gibson — KO/TKO, 0:21 R1
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Bruno Silva def. HyunSung Park — submission, 2:15 R3
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Djorden Santos def. Danny Barlow — unanimous decision
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Stephanie Luciano def. Ravena Oliveira — submission, 2:50 R3
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Yousri Belgaroui def. Azamat Bekoev — KO/TKO, 0:55 R3
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Melissa Croden def. Tainara Lisboa — TKO, 4:32 R3
Attendance & gate (event figures): 17,671 fans; $2.7M gate.
Bonuses & post-fight buzz
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Home crowd surge: Malott, Jasudavicius, Nelson, Jourdain, and Croden lit up Vancouver with strong showings.
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Callouts: After his SD win, Zahabi floated Sean O’Malley; the former champ responded with some trolling, keeping the convo alive.
What’s next (quick matchmaking)
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Brendan Allen: that fourth-round corner stoppage plants him one step from a title eliminator at 185. A top-5/7 name next feels right.
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Reinier de Ridder: smart corner call; expect a reset fight before another climb toward contention.
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Mike Malott: three straight—line him up with a ranked welterweight (10–15 range) to validate the run.
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Aiemann Zahabi: with momentum and a marquee SD, a top-10 bantamweight is in play—O’Malley would be box-office if it materializes.
UFC Vancouver delivered stakes, debate, and a packed house. Allen showed maturity and closed a big one via attritional dominance; Malott kept the country rocking; Zahabi seized a career-shifting win. For lovers of grappling-heavy adjustments and layered control, it was a clinic—and a shake-up for the middleweight conversation.
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Comment: did de Ridder’s corner do the right thing stopping it before R5?
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