Brendan Allen’s tattoos combine dense blackwork on his right side with a small scripture reference on the left chest. Separate dog-tag and footprint designs sit on his torso. Sports reporting connects some of these pieces with family and veterans, though the meaning of the larger patterns hasn’t been explained.
The James scripture tattoo on his left chest
“James 1:2–7” sits high on Allen’s left chest, with “James Allen Jr.” in smaller script below it. EssentiallySports identifies the verse tattoo with his Christian faith; the passage discusses trials, perseverance and asking for wisdom. The photograph shows its placement, but not when he got it or why he paired it with that name.
The lighter lettering stands apart from the heavier work on the opposite side of his chest.
The blackwork around his right shoulder
A close gym photo shows blackwork wrapping around Allen’s right shoulder. A large oval form sits among curved bands and pointed shapes, with open skin separating the darker lines. The chest and shoulder marks connect as one composition.
The style is often described as tribal or Polynesian, but the photo doesn’t confirm a cultural origin or the meaning of individual motifs.
How the sleeve continues down his right arm
With both hands raised after a fight, Allen shows how the pattern continues down his right arm, around the elbow and toward the taped wrist. The forearm mixes solid areas with outlined, angular shapes.
An older competition photo later on the page shows more bare skin below the upper-arm work. The images suggest the sleeve became more extensive, but they don’t give a session schedule. Allen’s UFC profile says friend Ben Peco gave him the “All In” nickname when he was about 16; it doesn’t say the sleeve was designed around that phrase.
The dog tags and footprint tattoos on his torso
The studio portrait shows outlined dog tags and a thin chain below the right pectoral. EssentiallySports reports that the design honors veterans and mentions Allen’s older brother’s military background; it doesn’t establish military service for Allen himself.
On the left abdomen, footprint shapes sit beside small lettering. The same report connects them with his children, while his UFC profile confirms he’s a father. The photos don’t identify each print. A portrait-style piece is visible on his thigh, but its subject isn’t confirmed either.
The tattoos during competition
In an earlier fight photo against Jacob Malkoun, Allen’s shoulder work is visible while the lettering across his opposite chest is hard to read. His bent position and turned body partly cover the smaller torso pieces.
The lower arm looks less covered here than in the later raised-arm photo. That comparison is useful for the visible coverage, though it doesn’t reveal the artist, exact dates or price.
Fight week away from home
This fight-week photo shows Allen training at his Singapore hotel before UFC 275. His black shirt covers much of the ink. In a June 2022 UFC interview, he said teammates Andre Fialho and Tuco Tokkos helped him enjoy travel for fights instead of staying in his hotel room.
The interview below is from UFC Vegas 4, after Allen’s June 2020 win over Kyle Daukaus. It offers fight context, not an explanation of his tattoos.