Brendan Allen overcome a difficult striking battle against Christian Leroy Duncan before securing a fifth-round rear-naked choke in the main event of UFC Vegas 122.
The UFC takes over the Meta APEX in Las Vegas, Nevada, on Saturday, October 10, 2026, with a compelling middleweight showdown headlining UFC Fight Night. Brendan Allen faces Christian Leroy Duncan in a five-round clash that pits Allen’s dangerous grappling against Duncan’s explosive striking. With both fighters looking to climb the rankings, a victory could bring either man a significant step closer to title contention.
Brendan Allen enters UFC Vegas 122 on a three-fight winning streak, defeating Marvin Vettori, Reinier de Ridder and Edmen Shahbazyan. After suffering back-to-back losses to Nassourdine Imavov and Anthony Hernandez in 2024 and early 2025, Allen has rebuilt his momentum and is looking to secure another major victory. Christian Leroy Duncan arrives in Las Vegas on a five-fight winning streak. Since losing to Gregory Rodrigues at UFC 304 in August 2024, the British striker has bounced back impressively, including victories over Roman Dolidze and former title challenger Jared Cannonier. Now, Duncan aims to make the biggest statement of his career by defeating a top-five contender.
Duncan starts aggressively, engaging Allen in close-range exchanges and finding success with punches and calf kicks. The pair trade knees in the clinch before Duncan presses Allen against the fence, where he continues working with body punches and knees. Allen eventually reverses the position and brings Duncan to the canvas with a trip. He works toward Duncan’s back, but the British fighter continues turning into him and works his way back to his feet. The two continue exchanging in the clinch before separating. Duncan lands a solid knee and follows it with a spinning attack that connects with an elbow. He also finds the mark with a short elbow late in the round. Those late strikes help Duncan make a strong impression on the judges, giving him the opening round on the live play-by-play scorecard.
The second round begins with a significant incident when Duncan pokes Allen in the eye. Referee Marc Goddard deducts a point from Duncan, immediately putting him at a disadvantage on the scorecards. Allen comes forward aggressively after the restart, although Duncan continues landing punches during their exchanges at close range. The fighters eventually clinch in the centre of the Octagon, where Duncan connects with knees. Allen then changes levels and completes a takedown with more than two minutes remaining in the round. He lands in side control and begins working toward Duncan’s back, but Duncan stays on his hip to prevent Allen from securing the position. Allen also threatens with an arm-triangle choke while keeping Duncan under pressure. He lands punches as he works to maintain control, finishing the round in a strong position. The point deduction and Allen’s subsequent grappling success make the second round a major turning point in the contest.
Duncan comes out looking to regain control, but Allen quickly secures another takedown to start the third round. The grappling exchange becomes increasingly scrappy as Duncan attempts to reverse the position. He briefly gains an advantageous position, but Allen responds with a reversal of his own and returns to top position. Allen continues to apply pressure from inside Duncan’s guard, using his weight to limit the Englishman’s movement while looking for opportunities to advance. However, Duncan shows resilience and manages to create space during the exchanges. Allen attempts to progress towards side control and threaten submissions, but Duncan repeatedly works to escape. The closing stages see Duncan find opportunities to attack with elbows from the top during another scramble. He lands a few shots before the horn sounds.
The fourth round sees a noticeable shift in the action as Duncan focuses on keeping the fight standing. He uses front kicks and movement to maintain distance while Allen continues to press forward. Allen connects with a powerful left hook that forces Duncan to retreat, but he struggles to sustain his offensive output. Duncan responds with punches and kicks, gradually increasing his activity as the round progresses. He lands combinations while avoiding prolonged grappling exchanges, forcing Allen to work harder to close the distance. Allen continues to search for openings, connecting with occasional punches and elbows in close range. However, Duncan’s higher striking output helps him remain competitive. Despite appearing fatigued at points, Duncan continues throwing combinations and shows determination to keep Allen at bay. The round remains competitive, with Duncan’s activity on the feet providing a strong response to Allen’s earlier grappling dominance.
The final round begins with Duncan looking to build on his striking success. He lands a knee and continues working behind his jab as Allen appears to struggle to find his rhythm. Duncan continues connecting with strikes, putting Allen under pressure as the fight enters its closing stages. Recognising the need to change the momentum, Allen eventually commits to a takedown attempt, driving Duncan towards the fence and fighting for control around his waist. Duncan initially defends well, staying upright and attempting to break Allen’s grip. However, Allen continues working until he manages to bring the fight to the canvas. Once the fight hits the mat, Allen works his way towards Duncan’s back while the Englishman attempts to defend against the advancing grappling position. Allen eventually secures back control and slips his arm under Duncan’s chin, locking in a rear-naked choke. Duncan fights to escape, but Allen maintains his grip and tightens the submission until the Englishman is forced to tap out. The referee stops the contest at 2:46 of the fifth round, giving Allen a hard-earned submission victory in the main event.
The victory extends Allen’s winning streak to four fights and strengthens his position among the UFC’s top middleweight contenders. For Duncan, the defeat ends a five-fight winning streak and marks his first stoppage loss in professional MMA. Following the fight, Allen expresses interest in competing for the middleweight title, while also naming former champion Dricus du Plessis as a potential opponent. “He’s tougher than I thought. … I just couldn’t get out of the fog. Felt a little slow tonight. But we got it done.”
Another fight on the card sees Julius Walker secure a second-round TKO victory over Gerald Meerschaert at 3:35, delivering a dominant performance against the UFC veteran. Walker uses his wrestling to bring Meerschaert to the canvas and unleashes ground-and-pound, mixing punches with elbows to keep the veteran on the defensive. Despite Meerschaert’s attempts to fight back and create submission opportunities, Walker maintains control and continues landing damaging strikes until the referee steps in to stop the contest. The defeat marks Meerschaert’s sixth consecutive loss, and he announces his retirement from MMA following the fight.
“Yeah, I’ve had a good run, Michael,” Meerschaert said in his post-fight speech with Michael Bisping. “I set a couple records and did some things. Maybe 205, I should’ve done that a little bit earlier, but them boys are big up there. Can’t fight forever. I’ve got some good opportunities to make money for my family, make a good living. Man, I had a hell of a time to come out here and perform for you guys. I can’t think of a better job. I’m gonna miss you.” Meerschaert retires with an overall MMA record of 32-23, going 12-15 in the UFC. He holds the record for most finishes in UFC middleweight history (12) and is tied with Demian Maia for most submission wins in UFC middleweight history (11).
