Brendan Allen defeated Christian Leroy Duncan by fifth-round rear-naked-choke submission in the UFC Vegas 122 main event on October 10, 2026. The finish came at 2:46 of the final round after a competitive middleweight contest. Allen’s victory strengthens his position in the division and gives him a clear platform for a higher-profile matchup. Duncan suffered his first reported UFC main-event defeat in this bout. Allen called out Dricus du Plessis after the win, but the promotion had not announced his next opponent at the time of publication.
Brendan Allen submitted Christian Leroy Duncan with a rear-naked choke at 2:46 of the fifth round in the UFC Vegas 122 main event on October 10, 2026. The finish capped a competitive middleweight contest that went the full five-round distance before Allen found the back and sealed the choke.
Allen, 30, enters the post-fight picture at 26-7 and ranked fourth at 185 pounds. The American from Kill Cliff FC fights orthodox and stands six-foot-two with a 75-inch reach. He lands 3.59 significant strikes per minute at 53 percent accuracy, and his submission attempts, 1.1 per 15 minutes, are the best on the card by that measure. Saturday's finish fit that profile.
Duncan, 31, drops to 15-2 and sits tenth in the division. The England native, who trains at Range Martial Arts Academy, owns a 79-inch reach and lands 4.45 significant strikes per minute at 57 percent accuracy. He has not attempted a submission in his UFC career and averages 0.43 takedowns per 15 minutes. The loss is his first reported defeat in a UFC main event.
Allen called out Dricus du Plessis after the win. Du Plessis, 32, is a Team CIT fighter from South Africa who holds a 24-3 record and sits second in the middleweight rankings and seventh in the pound-for-pound list. The promotion had not announced Allen's next opponent at the time of publication.
Why it matters
- Allen's finish over a ranked opponent strengthens his case in the top five of the middleweight division.
- His call-out of Du Plessis, ranked two spots above him, gives him a clear target for a higher-profile fight.
- Duncan's setback halts his momentum at tenth and leaves him to rebuild after his first main-event loss.
- The style contrast was clear: Duncan held a 79-inch reach advantage, but Allen's grappling reached the finish when the fight ran deep.
