MMA
Christian Leroy Duncan booked for first UFC main event vs. Top 5 contender
Published
1 month agoon
Credit: Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC Rising UFC middleweight contender Christian Leroy Duncan will fight in his first UFC main event against one of the division's toughest puzzles.
After Sean Strickland pulled off the monumental upset over Khamzat Chimaev earlier this year, the UFC's middleweight division is going through another transitional period. As Strickland prepares for his second championship stint, there's a slew of contenders waiting for shots at the title.
One such rising star is Christian Leroy Duncan, who has won five consecutive fights and is fresh off a unanimous decision win over Jared Cannonier in July. The talented UK standout is finally starting to perform up to the lofty potential many analysts felt he would live up to when he made his way to the UFC.
Duncan proved he's a force to be reckoned with in the middleweight title mix with his most recent victory over Cannonier. As Strickland's next fight remains uncertain, Duncan will clash against one of the division's hottest contenders in a highly anticipated headliner.
Christian Leroy Duncan set for title eliminator bout vs. Top 5 mainstay
As announced by the UFC on Tuesday, Duncan and No. 5 middleweight Brendan Allen will headline UFC Vegas 122 on October 10th. Allen has won three fights in a row since suffering back-to-back losses to Anthony Hernandez and Nassourdine Imavov.
Allen returns to the Octagon after recent wins over Edmen Shahbazyan and Reinier de Ridder. The former Dana White's Contender Series standout has traded wins and losses in his UFC tenure, but is knocking on the door of a potential title shot.
UFC Vegas 122 features a strawweight showdown between Loopy Godinez and Ketlen Souza. Rising stars like Malcolm Wellmaker, Jai Herbert, and Julius Walker round out an intriguing card at the UFC Apex.
What is your prediction for Brendan Allen vs. Christian Leroy Duncan? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!
This article appeared first on BJPENN.COM
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UFC Vegas 122: Start time, Paramount+ stream & full fight card
Published
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October 11, 2026
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Belal Muhammad shares nasty image of Brendan Allen’s staph infection prior to UFC Vegas 122 win
Published
11 hours agoon
October 11, 2026
Brendan Allen was dealing with a lot more than high stakes ahead of his big main event bout this past Saturday in Las Vegas.
Allen faced fellow surging middleweight contender Christian Leroy Duncan in the UFC Vegas 122 headliner at the Meta APEX. In a back-and-forth battle, Allen was able to get the victory with a fifth-round rear-naked choke submission to earn his fourth straight win.
There were moments in the fight where Allen looked like he couldn't get out of first gear, and Allen's teammate and friend Belal Muhammad shared why that could've been — revealing Allen entered fight week with a gnarly staph infection and had to compete on antibiotics. Check out the image below, which was shown in the original Twitter post, but then switched out with a different photo.
“What people don't know is Brendan was dealing with a staph infection since Tuesday of fight week,†Muhammad wrote. “Had to get on antibiotics, still has 5 days left on them, and despite all that adversity, went out there and got the finish. Never complained, never made excuses, just found a way to win. That's the heart of a champion. Proud of my brother.â€
Allen called for a fight with former champion Dricus du Plessis following the victory. Duncan's five-fight win streak came to an end during his game showing in his first UFC headliner.
MMA
Andre Fili discusses not landing extra shots after epic UFC knockout: ‘I’m a criminal, but I’m not a piece of s***’
Published
19 hours agoon
October 11, 2026
Andre Fili knows where to draw the line.
On Saturday, Fili scored possibly the best knockout of his career, knocking out Kai Kamaka III with a head kick on the main card of UFC Vegas 122. The finish was brutal, putting Kamaka out before he even hit the canvas, but as he rushed forward to finish the fight, Fili pulled up before landing any follow-up shots, realizing Kamaka was unconscious.
At his post-fight press conference afterward, Fili expounded on the moment.
“I say this all the time: I'm a criminal, but I'm not a piece of shit,†Fili said. “I don't litter. I treat people with respect. And when I knock someone out, there's no reason to land that extra shot. He's got kids, he's got a wife, he's got a future outside of fighting. It's just not necessary, man. I hope he's OK. I didn't even really want to watch the replay back.
“Hurting people is part of the sport. I like being good at fighting. I like winning fights. I like getting paid to win fights. I like being on TV. Hurting people is a byproduct of that; it's not a driving force for me. So I'm not gonna land that extra shot.â€
Widely seen as one of the “good guys†of MMA, Fili has been a UFC veteran since 2013, and seemed to be getting emotional during his post-fight scrum. When asked about why, Fili explained.
“I poured everything I am, and everything I have into this performance, and I just really — I'm not scared of anybody in that cage,†Fili said. “Any apprehension or nerves or excitement or butterflies, it's all because I want to perform. I want to make my people proud, I want to make myself proud. I want to perform the way I know I can perform. And when it works out that way, it feels really good.
“And now I'm making enough money to where I can change the trajectory of my entire family. I come from violence and drug abuse and poverty. I live below the poverty line in America, which I know is different from being in some of these other countries, but it's below the poverty line nonetheless, and I'm here to break some generational curses. This shit's hard work.â€
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UFC Vegas 122: Start time, Paramount+ stream & full fight card
Belal Muhammad shares nasty image of Brendan Allen’s staph infection prior to UFC Vegas 122 win
Tim Tszyu Set for World Title Shot Against Boxings Oldest Champion After Victory Over Spence
UFC Vegas 122: Start time, Paramount+ stream & full fight card
Belal Muhammad shares nasty image of Brendan Allen’s staph infection prior to UFC Vegas 122 win
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