Top-10 middleweights Brendan Allen and Christian Leroy Duncan bring contrasting styles but the same desire for gold to the main event of UFC Vegas 122 at the Meta APEX on Saturday night (Sunday morning SA time), writes Quintin van Jaarsveld.
ALSO READ: Top Five UFC Fights To Look Forward To In October.
Also on the main card, Jai Herbert and Matheus Camilo collide at lightweight, Loopy Godinez and Ketlen Souza square off at strawweight, Andre Fili and Kai Kamaka III face off at featherweight, Julius Walker and Gerald Meerschaert meet at light heavyweight, and Malcolm Wellmaker and Otari Tanzilovi tussle at bantamweight.
MAIN CARD:
Sunday, October 11, 2:00 AM SAST
Brendan Allen (1.77) vs Christian Leroy Duncan (2.05) (Middleweight)
The middleweight division is muddied at the top after Sean Strickland did the unthinkable and dethroned the previously undefeated Khamzat Chimaev in May.
Chimaev wants a rematch, while Dricus du Plessis made a strong case for a title shot with a dominant decision win over former welterweight champion Kamaru Usman in July. South Africa’s first-ever UFC champion also holds two wins over Strickland in championship bouts.
Then there’s Nassourdine Imavov, who’s on a six-fight win streak and – based on recent social media comments by Strickland – appears set to get the next championship opportunity.
Allen is not far off from entering the title conversation. He’s 15-4 in the UFC and was on a seven-fight win streak before he ran into Imavov, who beat him on the scorecards in September 2024.
After another decision loss to Anthony Hernandez, he got back on track with a win over former two-time title challenger Marvin Vettori and vaulted straight into the top five when he pulled off a stunning TKO victory over Reinier de Ridder on short notice this time last year.
Despite being ranked fourth, he’s struggled to lock in a high-profile fight since then. As a result, he accepted and won a fight against unheralded Edmen Shahbazyan in June and will now have to defend his ranking again.
“All In”, who has long traded verbal shots and called for a fight with Du Plessis, is a gifted grappler with 14 submissions to his name and has a tremendous gas tank.
Duncan (15-2) arrived in the UFC as an unbeaten prospect but blew hot and cold to start, going 3-2 in his first five fights inside the Octagon.
However, the hard-hitting Englishman has found his footing since, rattling off five straight wins to move up to 10th in the rankings.
“CLD” is a slick striker who’s technical but likes to mix in unpredictable attacks, which have earned him two spinning knockouts in his current hot streak.
The 31-year-old is coming off the biggest win of his career – a decision victory over former title challenger Jared Cannonier – but this is another step up for the Brit, as it’s a tougher stylistic fight and his first main event.
Allen, who’ll be headlining a UFC card for the fifth time, will have to step into the fire as he has a four-inch reach disadvantage. The 30-year-old’s high fight IQ and vast experience should see him do so smartly and safely and dictate terms to come out on top.
Prediction: Allen by decision.
Best Bet: Allen at 1.77.
Alternative Bet: Allen by decision at 3.35.
Jai Herbert (2.53) vs Matheus Camilo (1.53) (Lightweight)
Herbert (14-6-1) won’t hesitate to stand and trade. After all, his nickname is “The Black Country Banger.”
However, Camilo (11-3) is a full 13 years younger than the veteran and should use his speed advantage to make it three wins in a row.
Prediction: Camilo by decision.
Best Bet: Camilo by decision at 4.75.
Loopy Godinez (1.43) vs Ketlen Souza (2.85) (Strawweight)
Coming off successive wins, Souza (17-6) has momentum on her side, and the Brazilian is hell-bent on breaking into the top 10.
Godinez (14-6) is coming off a loss, but it came against Tatiana Suarez, who’s dominated everyone aside from former champion Zhang Weili.
Godinez has the superior all-around skillset and Mexican fighting spirit, so my money’s on her to defend her No. 8 ranking.
Prediction: Godinez by decision.
Best Bet: Godinez by decision at 1.85.
Andre Fili (1.67) vs Kai Kamaka III (2.22) (Featherweight)
Both of these featherweights are looking to get back on track.
Whereas Kamaka (18-8-1) is still unproven after splitting his first two fights inside the Octagon, Fili (25-14) is a seasoned UFC campaigner who’s been on the roster since 2013.
In addition to his experience, the 5’11” “Touchy” will have a four-inch height and five-inch reach advantage, all of which should see him turn back “Da Fighting Hawaiian”.
Prediction: Fili by decision.
Best Bet: Fili by decision at 2.95.
Julius Walker (1.39) vs Gerald Meerschaert (3.00) (Light Heavyweight)
After a 10-year tenure in the UFC middleweight division, Meerschaert (37-22) makes the move up to 205 pounds looking to break a five-fight losing streak.
“GM3” is a grizzled grappler with 29 submissions, however, Walker (7-3) has good takedown defence and a significant size advantage.
Throw in his high-volume, heavy-handed striking and “Juice Box” should enjoy the sweet taste of victory.
Prediction: Walker by knockout.
Best Bet: Walker by KO/TKO/DQ at 1.85.
Malcolm Wellmaker (1.46) vs Otari Tanzilovi (2.75) (Bantamweight)
The main card opener should be a banger as these are two aggressive fighters with impressive stopping power for bantamweights.
Wellmaker (10-2) hit a speed bump after making a fast and furious start to his UFC career, which saw him knockout South Africa’s Cameron Saaiman and Kris Moutinho.
Tanzilovi (10-2) is a solid striker but was outpointed by Shane Collins in his promotional debut in June and is in for a rough night in this one.
Prediction: Wellmaker by knockout.
Best Bet: Wellmaker by KO/TKO/DQ at 2.07.
Quintin van Jaarsveld is a former MDDA-Sanlam SA Local Sports Journalist of the Year and a former three-time Vodacom KwaZulu-Natal Sports Journalist of the Year. Formerly the sports editor and Outstanding Journalist of the Year award winner at The Fever Media Group, deputy editor at eHowzit, editor at SARugby.com and senior staff writer at Rugby365.com, he boasts over 20 years of experience.
