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\nLAS VEGAS, NEVADA – OCTOBER 10: Brendan Allen knees Christian Leroy Duncan of England in a middleweight fight during the UFC Fight Night event at Meta APEX on October 10, 2026 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Mike Kirschbaum\/Zuffa LLC)<\/p>\n
Middleweights Brendan Allen and Christian Leroy Duncan closed out the show at the Meta Apex in Las Vegas on Saturday, headlining UFC Vegas 122.<\/p>\n
England\u2019s Duncan had won five straight to earn the opportunity to headline his first UFC event; Allen had won his last three. No stranger to the main event scene, Allen was unbeaten since leaving Kill Cliff to train with former welterweight champ Belal Muhammad.<\/p>\n
Duncan came out heated, which let Allen pop off an uppercut. The pair then clinched up, leading to Duncan putting the American up against the fence. A grappling battle ensued, with Allen eventually reversing, securing a body lock, and landing a takedown off a throw. Allen quickly took the back, seated, but was at more of an angle, and couldn\u2019t keep Duncan down. Allen still had the bodylock, however, with Duncan fighting the hands and finally breaking it.<\/p>\n
Once he had some space to work, CLDS was able to get his hands going. He tagged Allen more than once, though Allen worked through it. A standing elbow landed for Duncan, Allen fired one back in response. Duncan\u2019s front kicks were on point as well.<\/p>\n
Round two opened with an eye poke landing on Allen, just moments after he had warned the ref about Duncan having his fingers pointed outwards. While Allen was able to continue, ref Marc Goddard elected to take a point from Duncan. The second fight on the UFC Vegas 122 card which had seen a point deduction, in fact.<\/p>\n
Back underway, Allen clinched up at center, with the pair trading knees before Allen landed a takedown. He was straight into side control, with over two minutes to work. Duncan appeared to have been bloodied at some point, and Allen was working towards taking the back. Duncan got himself against the fence, but Allen still managed to get a hook in. CLD would survive the round however.<\/p>\n
Early in the third, Allen landed a key takedown only to see it backfire with Duncan scrambling and getting in control. He got one hook in, controlling from the back, and soon had Allen down. Yet \u201cAll In\u201d was clearly the superior grappler, and soon reversed, getting on top and working inside Duncan\u2019s guard. Allen spent a good chunk of time on top before another transition led to Duncan getting in control. After landing a bit of ground n\u2019 pound, he\u2019d finish the round on top.<\/p>\n
Round four found Allen pressing early, trying to hem Duncan in along the face. He took some big swings, forcing CLD to retreat. Duncan circled on the outside, back to the fence, and his lack of experience in five round fights might have been coming into play. Allen, of course, had been there before. CLD did fire a few shots, but it was Allen connecting with a better one in response.<\/p>\n
Between rounds, Duncan\u2019s corner told him that he needed to win the fifth. With the point deduction in round one, even if the fight was 2-2, CLD was down. Allen, meanwhile, opened with a leg kick. Duncan fired a knee to the body. Allen grabbed a bodylock 90 seconds in, and dragged Duncan down. Before long, Allen was in tight under the chin with both hooks in. Duncan fought, flailed, and refused to tap with the ref checking on him. He swatted Marc Goddard away, but seconds later was forced to finally tap before going out. A huge fifth round submission by Brendan Allen, who has now won four straight!<\/p>\n
Post-fight, Allen told Michael Bisping that he was looking for a title shot, or failing, that, a date with ex-champ Dricus Du Plessis.<\/p>\n