Brendan Allen continues to be the ultimate middleweight dark horse destroyer.
Sticking to true form, Allen emerged the winner of another grueling battle of attrition Saturday night inside the Apex Arena in Las Vegas, subduing Christian Leroy Duncan with a fifth-round rear-naked choke in the main event of UFC Vegas 122. The American started slowly, but eventually settled into the fight.
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With the win, Allen (28-7) extended his UFC win streak to four straight.
“I’m stable, I’m defending the spot, I’m doing what I need to do,” a relieved Allen said post-fight. “Let the bosses see that I am doing it, and we think that we will be rewarded next. I am sure I will win, and if not, where is it?” [Dricus du Plessis]? He had been running here for a while.
Allen, 30, tried to drag Duncan (15-3) to the mat from the opening bell, but the red-hot Englishman — who entered Saturday’s bout riding a five-fight streak — defended well in the first round and peppered Allen with cracking shots in response. Allen stuck to the game plan though, eventually working Duncan to the ground for long stretches of the second and third rounds to regain control of the fight.
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Duncan, 31, dug himself deeper into the hole when referee Marc Goddard awarded him a point for an illegal tackle in the opening exchanges.
But the English would not go down without a fight. Duncan responded by raising his volume in a big way in the fourth quarter, outscoring the suddenly very passive Allen by a whopping 46-17 margin over the five-minute period. A moment shift left Allen complaining of pain in the corners between laps and Duncan appeared to be given a second wind, though it was ultimately short-lived when Allen returned to his bread-and-butter struggler in the fifth round and found the stoppage.
Following victories over Marvin Vettori, Reinier de Ridder, Edmen Shahbazyan’s streak and now Duncan, Allen is likely to have earned his next name.
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“It’s harder than I thought, I got the job done,” Allen said.
“I came here to fight, man. I was super active. I fought with these young guys, two young guys in the past. [Shahbazyan and Duncan]two hungry and hungry to go back, because no one else wanted to fight. And yeah man, they are tough.
Check out the complete UFC Vegas 122 results and highlights below.
The biggest card
Med: Brendan Allen def. Christian Leroy Duncan by submission (last naked choke) at 2:46 of R5 | Watch the finish line
Light: Matheus Camilo def. Jai Herbert via all decisions (29-28, 29-28, 29-28).
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117-pound catchweight: Loopy Godínez def. Ketlen Souza by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28).
Tenui: Andre Fili def. Kai Kamaka III by KO (head kick) at :22 of R2 | Look at the wild KO
Bantamweight: Otari Tanzilov def. Malcolm Wellmaker by KO (head kick and punches) at 2:39 of R2 | Watch the finish line
Previous card
Light heavyweight: Julius Walker def. Gerald Meerschaert by TKO (punches) at 3:35 of R2 | Meerschaert retires Watch the finish line
163.5-pound catchweight: Francis Prado def. Ismael Bonfim by TKO (punches) at 4:23 of R1 | Watch the finish line
Welterweight: Niko Price def. Leon Shahbazyan by TKO (punch and knee) at 1:58 of R1 | So win the Watch Price itself
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208.5-pound catchweight: Brendson Ribeiro def. Felipe Franco by submission (climbing guillotine) at 1:49 from R1 | Watch the finish line
Weight: Allen Frye def. RJ Harris by KO (punches) at 2:59 of R1 | Watch the finish line
Women’s bantamweight: Alice Pereira def. Daria Zhelezniakova by TKO (doctor stoppage) in 5:00 from R1 | Watch Zhelezniakova raise the fight
Women’s Volcano: Melissa Gatto vs.