A place near the front of the middleweight queue is on the line Saturday night, and that is why the UFC Vegas 122 fight card deserves more attention than a typical Apex event. Brendan Allen (27-7, ranked No. 4) faces Christian Leroy Duncan (15-2, ranked No. 10) on October 10, 2026, at the Meta APEX in Las Vegas.
Allen rides three straight wins. Duncan has won five in a row and is headlining for the first time in the UFC. Prelims begin at 5pm ET (2pm PT), the main card follows at 8pm ET (5pm PT), and the whole night streams on Paramount+ in the United States.
Every bout on the UFC Vegas 122 fight card
Twelve bouts make up the UFC Vegas 122 fight card, according to the official UFC fight-by-fight preview. Niko Price and Leon Shahbazyan open the evening at welterweight.
| Bout | Weight class | Card |
|---|---|---|
| Brendan Allen vs Christian Leroy Duncan | Middleweight | Main event |
| Loopy Godinez vs Ketlen Souza | Strawweight | Main card |
| Malcolm Wellmaker vs Otari Tanzilovi | Bantamweight | Main card |
| Julius Walker vs Gerald Meerschaert | Light heavyweight | Main card |
| Matheus Camilo vs Jai Herbert | Lightweight | Main card |
| Francisco Prado vs Ismael Bonfim | Lightweight | Prelims |
| Andre Fili vs Kai Kamaka III | Not listed | Prelims |
| Allen Frye Jr. vs RJ Harris | Heavyweight | Prelims |
| Alice Pereira vs Daria Zhelezniakova | Bantamweight | Prelims |
| Felipe Franco vs Brendson Ribeiro | Light heavyweight | Prelims |
| Ernesta Kareckaite vs Melissa Gatto | Flyweight | Prelims |
| Niko Price vs Leon Shahbazyan | Welterweight | Prelims (opener) |
Brendan Allen vs Christian Leroy Duncan by the numbers
| Brendan Allen | Christian Leroy Duncan | |
|---|---|---|
| Record | 27-7 | 15-2 |
| Middleweight rank | No. 4 | No. 10 |
| Age | 30 | 31 |
| Reach | 75 in | 79 in |
| Wins by KO/TKO | 6 | 10 |
| Wins by submission | 14 | 1 |
| Wins by decision | 7 | 4 |
| Current streak | 3 wins | 5 wins |
Those finish splits tell most of the story. More than half of Allen’s 27 wins came by submission, while ten of Duncan’s 15 came by knockout or stoppage, per their UFC athlete profiles.
Nobody on the UFC Vegas 122 fight card brings a more tested recent run than Allen. He outpointed Marvin Vettori at UFC 318 in July 2025, beat Reinier de Ridder that October to climb into the top five, then took a unanimous decision over Edmen Shahbazyan on June 6, 2026, in a bout that earned Fight of the Night. Before that streak he dropped decisions to Nassourdine Imavov and Anthony Hernandez.
Duncan’s climb has been steady. He stopped Eryk Anders in the first round and Marco Tulio in the second during 2025, then won back-to-back unanimous decisions over Roman Dolidze in March and Jared Cannonier on July 18.
How Allen wins: get it to the mat
Allen’s path is no mystery, and Duncan has said as much. Speaking to reporters at Wednesday’s media day, the Englishman called Allen “a young veteran” and said he expects a grappling-heavy plan built specifically for him.
The case for Allen is volume of experience on the floor. Fourteen submission wins means he does not need a long stretch on top to end a fight, only one scramble where Duncan exposes his neck or an arm. Closing the four-inch reach gap with level changes and clinch entries will matter far more than winning any kickboxing exchange.
How Duncan wins: range, footwork and volume
Duncan’s best weapons are length and variety. The UFC describes him as a striker with mixed attacks and sharp footwork, and a 79-inch reach gives him room to score while staying out of grabbing distance.
His last two wins also answer an old question about him. Going the full three rounds with Dolidze and then Cannonier showed he can keep his shape late in fights. If he forces Allen to shoot from too far out, the takedowns get easier to read and the counters start landing.
Being in a main event spot is a massive opportunity.
Christian Leroy Duncan
Fights worth watching deeper on the card
Meerschaert’s new weight class. At 38, Gerald Meerschaert makes his first appearance at 205 pounds in more than ten years. He holds the UFC middleweight records for submission wins (11) and finishes (12), but he has lost five straight, the last after missing weight against Jacob Malkoun in May.
Souza’s clinch against Godinez. Ketlen Souza is 4-2 at strawweight in the UFC and knocked out Ariane Carnelossi in the first round in June. Loopy Godinez, a longtime ranked contender, is coming off a loss to Tatiana Suarez at UFC 327.
Young names to circle. The UFC Vegas 122 fight card also features Matheus Camilo, 25 and 11-3, who stopped Nazim Sadykhov in round one in Baku on June 27. On the prelims, Leon Shahbazyan needed only 23 seconds to beat Levan Chokheli on debut, and Alice Pereira, the youngest fighter on the roster, scored a stepping-knee knockout of Hailey Cowan in April.
Wellmaker’s reset. A year ago Malcolm Wellmaker was 10-0 and 2-0 in the UFC. Two losses later, he has moved to American Top Team and faces Otari Tanzilovi, who is still chasing his first UFC win. That makes it a quiet must-win on the UFC Vegas 122 fight card.
Questions about the UFC Vegas 122 fight card
What time does UFC Vegas 122 start?
Prelims start at 5pm ET (2pm PT) on Saturday, October 10, 2026. The main card begins at 8pm ET (5pm PT).
Where can I watch UFC Vegas 122?
The full UFC Vegas 122 fight card streams on Paramount+ in the United States, from the first prelim to the main event.
What is Brendan Allen’s record?
Brendan Allen is 27-7 as a pro and ranked No. 4 at middleweight. He has won his last three fights, including a decision over Edmen Shahbazyan in June 2026.
What is Christian Leroy Duncan’s ranking?
Christian Leroy Duncan is ranked No. 10 at middleweight. He is 15-2 and on a five-fight win streak.
What Allen vs Duncan settles at middleweight
The UFC has not said what comes next for the winner, but the stakes are easy to read. An Allen win keeps him firmly in the top five on a four-fight run; a Duncan win vaults a ranked No. 10 past one of the division’s most reliable veterans. For a broader look at the next pay-per-view, see our UFC 335 fight card preview, and for more on the shifting division, read why Strickland doubts Pereira will return to middleweight. Whoever decides where this headliner happens, on the feet or on the mat, likely leaves the UFC Vegas 122 fight card with the bigger future.