Brendan Allen choked out Christian Leroy Duncan in the fifth round to headline UFC Vegas 122 on Saturday night at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. Jai Herbert outworked Matheus Camilo in the co-main event, and four fighters picked up post-fight bonuses.
Main event: Allen finishes Duncan late
The middleweight main event between Brendan Allen and Christian Leroy Duncan swung back and forth. Duncan took the opening round behind punches, knees and low kicks, backing Allen up with a spinning elbow. Allen answered in round two by taking the fight to the ground, controlling from side control and working elbows and ground strikes. Round three stayed close, with Allen scoring an early takedown before Duncan reversed position, then Allen working back to full guard. Duncan retook the lead in round four with jabs, body kicks and low kicks while Allen struggled to keep pace.
In round five, after a failed takedown attempt, Allen dragged Duncan down from behind, locked in a rear-naked choke and forced the tap at 2:46. Brendan Allen moves to 28-7 and extends his run at 185 pounds. Christian Leroy Duncan drops to 15-3. Allen called out a ranked middleweight contender in his post-fight interview.
Co-main event: Herbert outworks Camilo
In the lightweight co-main event, Matheus Camilo took the first round with low kicks, a left hook and a late takedown. Jai Herbert turned the fight in round two, surviving a mount and back attack from Camilo before working back to full guard and landing ground strikes. Herbert sealed the fight in round three with jabs and low kicks, stuffing a takedown and finishing the round on top. All three judges scored it 29-28 for Jai Herbert.
Full results
| Winner | Loser | Method | Round | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brendan Allen (USA) | Christian Leroy Duncan | Submission (rear-naked choke) | 5 | 2:46 |
| Jai Herbert | Matheus Camilo | Unanimous decision (29-28) | 3 | - |
| Lupita Godinez | Ketlen Souza | Unanimous decision (29-28) | 3 | - |
| Andre Fili (USA) | Kai Kamaka III (USA) | KO (jumping head kick) | 2 | 0:22 |
| Otari Tanzilovi | Malcolm Wellmaker (USA) | TKO (strikes) | 2 | 2:39 |
| Julius Walker (USA) | Gerald Meerschaert (USA) | TKO (strikes) | 2 | 3:35 |
| Francisco Prado | Ismael Bonfim | TKO (strikes) | 1 | 4:23 |
| Niko Price (USA) | Leon Shahbazyan | TKO (strikes) | 1 | 1:58 |
| Brendson Ribeiro | Felipe Franco | Submission (guillotine choke) | 1 | 1:49 |
| Allen Frye Jr. (USA) | RJ Harris (USA) | KO (strikes) | 1 | 2:59 |
| Alice Pereira | Daria Zhelezniakova | TKO (doctor stoppage) | 1 | 5:00 |
| Draw | Ernesta Kareckaite / Melissa Gatto | Majority draw | 3 | - |
On the preliminary card, Julius Walker and Niko Price opened the night with strike stoppages, Allen Frye Jr. added a first-round knockout over RJ Harris, and Brendson Ribeiro submitted Felipe Franco with a guillotine choke. Alice Pereira closed her bout by doctor stoppage after opening a cut over Daria Zhelezniakova’s eye. Only Ernesta Kareckaite and Melissa Gatto left without a winner, with two judges scoring the fight even and the third favoring one fighter.
Americans on the card
Brendan Allen kept his middleweight push going with the fifth-round submission win. Andre Fili scored a highlight-reel jumping head kick knockout over Kai Kamaka III, and Julius Walker and Niko Price both finished their opponents on the preliminary card. Allen Frye Jr. added a first-round knockout over RJ Harris. Malcolm Wellmaker and Gerald Meerschaert came up short, falling to Otari Tanzilovi and Julius Walker.
Bonuses
The UFC handed out four Performance of the Night bonuses worth 100,000 dollars each, to Brendan Allen, Andre Fili, Otari Tanzilovi and Alice Pereira for their finishes.
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