Brendan Allen faces Christian Leroy Duncan in UFC Vegas main event with middleweight top five at stake

Two middleweights in form headline UFC Fight Night at the Meta APEX in Las Vegas on Saturday, 10 October. No. 4-ranked Brendan Allen faces No. 10 Christian Leroy Duncan in a five-round main event. The winner should move closer to a title fight in one of the UFC's most crowded divisions.

For fans in Malaysia, the event happens on Sunday morning, 11 October. The prelims start at 5am and the main card at 8am.

Allen: a finisher in form

Allen is 30 and has a 27-7 record. Most of his wins have come early. He has 14 submissions and six knockouts, and 11 of his fights have ended in the first round. He has won 10 of his last 12 fights, and both losses in that run went to the judges.

Allen won seven fights in a row from 2022 to 2024, then lost to Nassourdine Imavov and Anthony Hernandez. He has bounced back with wins over Marvin Vettori, former ONE Championship double champion Reinier de Ridder and Edmen Shahbazyan, and earned two Fight of the Night bonuses along the way.

Duncan: first main event, five straight wins

Duncan is a British fighter who came through Cage Warriors. He is 31 and has a 15-2 record, with 10 wins by knockout. He has won five fights in a row, including victories over Roman Dolidze and former title challenger Jared Cannonier. He picked up two Performance of the Night bonuses during that streak. This is his first UFC main event.

Duncan has the longer reach, 79 inches to Allen's 75. That should help him on the feet. The big question is whether Allen can get the fight to the mat, where most of his wins have come. Both men have a 58% takedown defence rate, so the fight may stay standing for long spells.

Rest of the card

Matheus Camilo and Jai Herbert meet at lightweight in the co-main event. The main card also has Loopy Godinez against Ketlen Souza at women's strawweight, Andre Fili against Kai Kamaka III at featherweight, and Malcolm Wellmaker against Otari Tanzilovi at bantamweight.

The prelims feature veteran Gerald Meerschaert against Julius Walker at light heavyweight, Niko Price against Leon Shahbazyan at welterweight, and Francisco Prado against Ismael Bonfim at lightweight. Ranked bantamweight Alice Pereira faces Daria Zhelezniakova. The prelims also include Felipe Franco against Brendson Ribeiro, Allen Frye Jr. against RJ Harris, and Ernesta Kareckaitė against Melissa Gatto. As with any fight week, the card could still change before Saturday.

Key takeaways

• Brendan Allen (27-7, ranked No. 4) faces Christian Leroy Duncan (15-2, ranked No. 10) in a five-round middleweight main event.
• Allen has won 10 of his last 12 fights; Duncan has won five straight and is headlining for the first time.
• Duncan has a four-inch reach advantage, and Allen has 14 wins by submission.
• In Malaysia, the prelims start at 5am and the main card at 8am on Sunday, 11 October.

FAQ

When is UFC Fight Night: Allen vs Duncan in Malaysia time? The prelims start at 5am and the main card at 8am on Sunday, 11 October. In the US, that is 5pm and 8pm ET on Saturday.

Where is the event being held? It is at the Meta APEX in Las Vegas.

How many rounds is the main event? Allen vs Duncan is scheduled for five rounds at middleweight.

Sources: UFC.com, MMA News, Cageside Press