Allen backs himself to dominate Duncan unless caught by a lucky shot at UFC Vegas 122

Brendan Allen has declared he will systematically outclass Christian Leroy Duncan at UFC Vegas 122 on 10 October at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, warning that the only scenario in which the Englishman wins is catching him with a single clean shot.

“I think just his flashy style; the only way he wins is to catch me,” Allen said at media day. “I don’t think anywhere else he can beat me. I don’t think he can wrestle better than me. We know his jiu-jitsu is not better than mine. I think purely basics of striking, I think mine are a lot better. I think he’s probably a little bit more athletic than me. But I definitely think I’m way more durable than him… If he doesn’t catch me, I’m gonna beat his *ss as long as the fight lasts. If it goes past the second, I think that’s where you’ll see the clear runaway.”

Allen (27-7) enters the middleweight main event on a three-fight winning streak, having beaten Marvin Vettori, Reinier de Ridder and Edmen Shahbazyan in succession following a loss to Anthony Hernandez in February 2025. He concedes that Duncan’s explosive, unpredictable style gives the challenger a puncher’s chance, but frames that as the only meaningful threat on the card.

Duncan (15-2) arrives with momentum of his own, having won five consecutive bouts. His last two victories came against Roman Dolidze and Jared Cannonier, results that earned him the main-event slot and positioned him as a credible contender in the 185-pound division.

Despite acknowledging Duncan’s athleticism, Allen is emphatic that durability and technical fundamentals will prove decisive over the course of a full fight. The confidence is notable given the stakes: a win for either man would make a compelling case for a middleweight title shot.