Updated

Updated · Yahoo Sports · Oct 9

Brendan Allen Faces Christian Leroy Duncan in UFC Vegas 122 185-Pound Title Eliminator

Updated

Updated · Yahoo Sports · Oct 9

Brendan Allen Faces Christian Leroy Duncan in UFC Vegas 122 185-Pound Title Eliminator

Q: What shocking veteran upset completely derailed a highly favored rising star's hype train?

The upset was veteran Jai Herbert’s unanimous-decision win over Matheus Camilo in the UFC Vegas 122 co-main event. Camilo, 25, entered as a clear favorite and was widely viewed as a rising lightweight prospect expected to continue building momentum. Instead, Herbert, 38, used his experience, steadier pace and stronger late rounds to swing a competitive fight, taking all three scorecards 29-28. That result was widely seen as the moment that derailed Camilo’s hype train. Pre-fight analysis had framed Herbert as the seasoned veteran being used to test, and likely boost, an up-and-comer. Herbert flipped that script by surviving early trouble, reversing key positions in the second round and finishing fresher in the third. In practical terms, the “shocking veteran upset” was Herbert spoiling Camilo’s rise just as the Brazilian looked poised for a bigger push in the division.

3 articles · Updated · Yahoo Sports · Oct 9

Saturday’s UFC Vegas 122 main event pits Brendan Allen against Christian Leroy Duncan in a middleweight contender bout that could move the winner closer to a title shot at 185 pounds.
Allen, 30, enters as a slight -125 favorite after rebounding from back-to-back losses with wins over Marvin Vettori, Reinier de Ridder and Edmen Shahbazyan, while Duncan, 31, brings a five-fight streak.
The matchup centers on Allen’s all-around pressure game against Duncan’s striking and improved takedown defense, though Allen is viewed as the steadier fighter against stronger recent opposition.
Matheus Camilo vs. Jai Herbert headlines the undercard at lightweight, with Lupita Godinez vs. Ketlen Souza, Andre Fili vs. Kai Kamaka III and Malcolm Wellmaker vs. Otari Tanzilovi also featured.
The card arrives as the middleweight division remains unsettled offstage, with champion Sean Strickland still publicly venting frustration with the UFC.