Brendan Allen Surprises Christian Leroy Duncan with Late Submission at UFC Vegas 122
Brendan Allen Shocks Christian Leroy Duncan with Final Round Choke
Brendan Allen is proving to be a relentless force in the middleweight division. At UFC Vegas 122, held at the Meta Apex in Las Vegas, Allen secured a dramatic victory by submitting the in-form Christian Leroy Duncan with a rear-naked choke in the fifth round. The fight ended at 2:46 of the final round after a tough back-and-forth battle.
Allen, now boasting a 28-7 record, has extended his winning streak in the UFC to four consecutive bouts. After the fight, he expressed confidence about his future matchups, hinting at a challenge for the title or a fight with Dricus du Plessis, who has been avoiding him recently.
"I'm steady, defending my spot, doing what I need to do," Allen said. "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, defended well and landed heavy strikes in the early stages. Despite this, Allen stuck to his plan, controlling much of the second and third rounds on the ground.
Duncan lost a point early in round two due to illegal eye pokes, which put him at a disadvantage. He fought back fiercely in the fourth round, landing 46 significant strikes compared to Allen’s 17, forcing Allen to complain about rib pain between rounds. Still, Allen came back strong in the fifth, using his wrestling to finish the fight.
With wins over notable fighters like Marvin Vettori, Reinier de Ridder, Edmen Shahbazyan, and now Duncan, Allen seems poised for a big name next.
"He's tougher than I thought, I got the job done," Allen stated. "I come here to fight, man. I've been super active, fighting young hungry prospects like Shahbazyan and Duncan because nobody else wanted to fight. They're tough guys."
Full UFC Vegas 122 Results
- Main Card
- 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
- 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 retires
- 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)
