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Brendan Allen Shocks Christian Leroy Duncan with Late Submission at UFC Vegas 122

Brendan Allen continues to surprise as a rising contender in the UFC middleweight division. On Saturday night at the Meta Apex in Las Vegas, Allen secured a fifth-round rear-naked choke submission over the surging Christian Leroy Duncan in the main event of UFC Vegas 122.

Allen started cautiously but relied on his strong wrestling to wear down Duncan, earning the stoppage at 2:46 of round five. This win marks Allen's fourth consecutive victory inside the UFC, improving his record to 28-7.

"I'm steady, defending my spot, doing what I need to do," Allen said after the fight. "The bosses see me doing that thing, and I think we'll be rewarded next. Fight the champion, and if not, where's [Dricus du Plessis]? He's been running for a little while."

From the opening bell, Allen tried to take Duncan down, but the English fighter, riding a five-fight win streak himself, fought back hard with heavy strikes early on. Despite this, Allen stuck to his strategy, controlling much of the second and third rounds on the ground.

Duncan was set back when referee Marc Goddard docked him a point for illegal eye pokes during the second round, deepening his challenge. Nevertheless, Duncan pressed forward, dominating the fourth round with a significant volume of strikes, outlanding Allen 46-17 in that period. Allen showed signs of rib pain between rounds, and Duncan appeared to gain momentum.

Ultimately, Allen returned to his wrestling strengths in the final round and forced the submission to close the contest.

Allen has now defeated notable names such as Marvin Vettori, Reinier de Ridder, Edmen Shahbazyan, and Christian Leroy Duncan. His recent string of wins sets him up for a match against a top-ranked opponent soon.

"He's tougher than I thought, but I got the job done," Allen said. "I come here to fight. I've been super active, fighting young hungry prospects like Shahbazyan and Duncan back-to-back because no one else wanted to fight. They're tough guys."

UFC Vegas 122 Full Results

  • Middleweight: Brendan Allen def. Christian Leroy Duncan via submission (rear-naked choke) at 2:46 of Round 5
  • Lightweight: Jai Herbert def. Matheus Camilo via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
  • 117-pound catchweight: Loopy Godínez def. Ketlen Souza via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
  • Featherweight: Andre Fili def. Kai Kamaka III via KO (head kick) at 0:22 of Round 2
  • Bantamweight: Otari Tanzilovi def. Malcolm Wellmaker via KO (head kick and punches) at 2:39 of Round 2

Preliminary Card Results

  • Light Heavyweight: Julius Walker def. Gerald Meerschaert via TKO (punches) at 3:35 of Round 2; Meerschaert retires
  • 163.5-pound catchweight: Francisco Prado def. Ismael Bonfim via TKO (punches) at 4:23 of Round 1
  • Welterweight: Niko Price def. Leon Shahbazyan via TKO (punch and knee) at 1:58 of Round 1; Price announces retirement
  • 208.5-pound catchweight: Brendson Ribeiro def. Felipe Franco via submission (mounted guillotine) at 1:49 of Round 1
  • Heavyweight: Allen Frye def. RJ Harris via KO (punches) at 2:59 of Round 1
  • Women’s Bantamweight: Alice Pereira def. Daria Zhelezniakova via TKO (doctor stoppage) at 5:00 of Round 1
  • Women’s Flyweight: Melissa Gatto vs. Ernesta Kareckaite ended in a majority draw (29-27, 28-28, 28-28)

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