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!

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Zuffa LLC

If Arman Tsarukyan wins the UFC lightweight title, he wants to go after one of Islam Makhachev's records.

Tsarukyan is set for a pivotal clash against Mauricio Ruffy at UFC 331, and his camp claims he's been promised a title shot if he emerges victorious. The newly nicknamed “Batman†has long been considered the rightful No. 1 contender at 155 pounds by fans and pundits, but an emphatic performance on Sept. 19 might leave no doubt.

The No. 2-ranked lightweight on the Meta UFC and media panel rankings was scheduled to challenge Makhachev for the gold in early 2025, but he was pulled hours before the weigh-ins due to an injury. This would've been a rematch, as Makhachev defeated Tsarukyan via unanimous decision in their competitive 2019 bout. Makhachev has since moved up to become the welterweight champion, while some believe Tsarukyan is only now getting out of the UFC doghouse.

Appearing on Paramount+'s “Deep Waters,†Tsarukyan dismissed the idea of chasing a rematch with Makhachev at 170 pounds. Tsarukyan would rather set a new record at lightweight (h/t MMAFighting).

“Not yet,†Tsarukyan said. “At least five title defenses. … I want to beat the record in the lightweight division. So Islam had four defenses, so I want to make five and then we'll see or I retire or go up to 170, because I've got to gain weight for 170.â€

Reigning UFC lightweight titleholder Justin Gaethje appears to be out for the remainder of 2026. “The Highlight†recently said that both his hands are injured, and he doesn't envision returning to the Octagon until 2027. If Tsarukyan becomes Gaethje's first challenger, he'll need to wait a little bit, but he has no issue staying active outside of UFC competition.

Do you think Arman Tsarukyan can top Islam Makhachev's run at lightweight, or will he run into issues at some point? Sound off in the comments below.

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BKFC and PFL MMA

Much has been made about Cris Cyborg's next move, but if she wants to continue throwing hands, BKFC appears to have open arms.

Cyborg recently competed in the main event of PFL Tampa. She took on fellow ex-UFC veteran Ketlen Vieira, who missed weight by seven pounds. Cyborg won the fight via unanimous decision, but the PFL Women's Featherweight Champion did not commit to retirement.

While Cyborg isn't sure whether or not she's done with prizefighting, one ambitious BKFC fighter said she'd welcome Cyborg for a bare-knuckle clash. That fighter was Cristine Ferea, and BKFC president David Feldman told MMAJunkie that Conor McGregor is quite intrigued by the thought of such a matchup.

“I wasn't but I think it's something we definitely can do,†Feldman said. “I think it's something we can float out there. It's funny because Conor messaged me early in the morning on Sunday and he was like, ‘Who'd she call out? Cris, Cris, Cris Cyborg? Oh, that's a great fight. Let's do that one, Dave. Let's do that.' He was excited about it and I'm excited about it.

“Cristine Ferea, there's not a lot of people who can put up a challenge to her. For Cris Cyborg, standing up, there's not a lot of people who can put up a challenge for her. That would be a great fight: two people that are known and two people who really want to stand out there and bang and give their all there. I definitely think that's something you could possible see down the road.â€

Recently, Cyborg hinted at being involved with Scott Coker's new MMA promotion in some capacity. Whether she'd be an active fighter for the upcoming promotion or if she'd be working with the company outside of competition remains to be seen.

Do you think Conor McGregor and BKFC can convince Cris Cyborg to fight for the promotion? Tell us what you think in the comments below.

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