Brendan Allen submits Christian Leroy Duncan in round five at UFC Vegas 122 as Floyd Schofield wins WBA title

Saturday, 10 October (US time) was a big night for combat sports. Brendan Allen came from behind to submit Christian Leroy Duncan in the fifth round of the UFC Vegas 122 main event. On the same night in Chicago, Floyd Schofield won a dramatic 12-round fight against Lucas Bahdi to take the vacant WBA lightweight title.

Allen finds the finish late

The middleweight main event took place at the Meta APEX in Las Vegas. Duncan had won five fights in a row going in, but the fight turned against him early. He was docked a point in the second round for an accidental eye poke. That meant he was likely to lose on the scorecards even if the judges split the first four rounds evenly, and his corner told him he needed to win the fifth.

Allen settled it himself. About 90 seconds into the final round he locked a bodylock and dragged Duncan to the mat, took his back and sank in a rear-naked choke with both hooks in. Duncan struggled and at one point pushed referee Marc Goddard away when Goddard checked on him, but he tapped at 2:46 of round five.

The win takes Allen to 28-7 and extends his UFC winning streak to four. In his post-fight interview he asked for a title shot and mentioned former champion Dricus du Plessis as an opponent if the champion was not available.

Other main card results

• Loopy Godínez beat Ketlen Souza by unanimous decision (29-28 on all three cards) at a 117-pound catchweight.
• Andre Fili knocked out Kai Kamaka III with a head kick 22 seconds into the second round.
• Otari Tanzilovi stopped Malcolm Wellmaker with a head kick and punches at 2:39 of round two.

Schofield survives a knockdown to claim his first world title

At Wintrust Arena in Chicago, Schofield beat Bahdi by unanimous decision. The scores were 119-108, 116-110 and 115-111. The WBA title was vacant because the organisation moved Gervonta Davis to "champion in recess" earlier this year after a long period out of the ring.

Schofield scored the first knockdown in round three, with a counter left hook. Bahdi did not hit the canvas, but the referee ruled that the ropes had held him up. Bahdi, who also came in unbeaten, got that knockdown back in round 11 when he put Schofield down with a right hand. Schofield did not dispute the call and held on through the last round.

Schofield is now 20-0 with 13 knockouts, and Bahdi is 20-1. The title ends a long wait for the 24-year-old. In February 2025 he was taken to hospital four days before a scheduled WBC title fight against Shakur Stevenson in Riyadh and had to pull out.

Mendoza's upset on the undercard

On the same card, Sergio Mendoza pulled off a major upset. He stopped Ricardo Sandoval in the fifth round after knocking him down three times.

Key takeaways

• Brendan Allen submitted Christian Leroy Duncan with a rear-naked choke at 2:46 of round five at UFC Vegas 122.
• Duncan lost a point for an eye poke in round two, which put him behind on the cards.
• Allen, now 28-7, asked for a title fight and named Dricus du Plessis as an alternative opponent.
• Floyd Schofield beat Lucas Bahdi 119-108, 116-110 and 115-111 to win the vacant WBA lightweight title.
• Each fighter was credited with one knockdown, in rounds three and 11.

FAQ

How did Brendan Allen beat Christian Leroy Duncan? Allen won by rear-naked choke at 2:46 of the fifth round of their middleweight main event at the Meta APEX in Las Vegas.

Who won Floyd Schofield v Lucas Bahdi? Schofield won by unanimous decision, 119-108, 116-110 and 115-111, to take the vacant WBA lightweight title in Chicago.

What are Floyd Schofield's and Lucas Bahdi's records now? Schofield is unbeaten at 20-0 with 13 knockouts. Bahdi suffered his first defeat and is now 20-1.

Sources: Yahoo Sports, Cageside Press, The Ring, Forbes