Brendan Allen Chokes Out Duncan in Round Five at UFC Vegas 122

Middleweights Brendan Allen and Christian Leroy Duncan closed the UFC Vegas 122 card at the Meta Apex in Las Vegas on Saturday, and the fight went into the fifth round before Allen finished it. With a little more than two minutes left in the fifth round, Allen locked in a rear-naked choke and Duncan was forced to tap. The official result was a submission at 2:46 of round five.

Both men came in on a roll. Duncan, from England, had won five in a row to earn his first UFC headlining slot, while Allen had taken his previous three. Allen has not lost since he left Kill Cliff to train alongside former welterweight champion Belal Muhammad.

A grappling battle and a point deduction

Duncan started aggressively, and Allen answered with an uppercut before the two locked up along the fence. Allen eventually reversed position, secured a body lock and dragged the Englishman down with a throw, though Duncan fought his way back up. Once he had space, Duncan landed several shots, including a standing elbow and front kicks.

Early in the second round, an eye poke landed on Allen just after he had warned the referee about Duncan's outstretched fingers. Allen was able to continue, but referee Marc Goddard took a point from Duncan. Allen then landed a takedown, moved to side control and hunted for the back until the bell. The third round swung back and forth on the mat, with Duncan finishing on top after a late scramble, while Allen pressed forward with big swings in the fourth as Duncan circled along the fence.

The finish and what comes next

Duncan's corner told him before the final round that he had to win it, since the deduction left him behind even on a split of rounds. Around 90 seconds into the fifth, Allen grabbed a body lock, took Duncan down and sank both hooks in. Duncan fought the hands and even pushed the referee away, but moments later he had to give up before going unconscious.

The win was Allen's fourth straight. In his post-fight interview with Michael Bisping, he said he wants a title shot, and that former champion Dricus Du Plessis would be an acceptable alternative.