UFC Vegas 122 at the UFC APEX in Las Vegas delivered an eventful night of mixed martial arts action, featuring 12 bouts and nine decisive finishes. The main card was headlined by a compelling ranked middleweight clash, pitting a seasoned grappler against a dangerous striker as Brendan Allen defended his spot in the division against surging contender Christian Leroy Duncan. While the card provided plenty of thrilling highlights, it was also marked by weight-management issues, with three fighters missing the mark during official weigh-ins, including one high-profile athlete featured on the main card. Across the board, the evening proved pivotal for several competitors as winning streaks were snapped, losing streaks were extended, and fighters found themselves at critical crossroads in their UFC careers.
Christian Leroy Duncan
The main event of UFC Vegas 122 saw fifth-ranked middleweight Brendan Allen put on a grappling clinic, ultimately securing a rear-naked choke to force a tap from eleventh-ranked Christian Leroy Duncan midway through the fifth and final round. The hard-fought victory was a dramatic conclusion to a grueling main event and dealt a significant blow to Duncan’s momentum in the division.
The submission loss brings an abrupt halt to an impressive five-fight win streak for Duncan, a run that had established him as one of the most exciting rising talents at 185 pounds. During that successful stretch, "CLD" earned two performance bonuses and secured high-profile victories over Andrey Pulyaev, Eryk Anders, Marco Tulio, Roman Dolidze, and former middleweight title challenger Jared Cannonier. With this defeat, Duncan’s promotional record falls to 8-3 since his arrival in the UFC in 2023.
Looking ahead to his next booking, logical matchmaking points toward Duncan drawing the loser of the upcoming matchup between Bo Nickal and Joe Pyfer, which is scheduled for December 12. Although that timeline is a bit distant, it aligns well with the recovery period Duncan will need following the demanding five-round battle he just endured. Furthermore, the name value of either potential opponent keeps Duncan firmly planted near the top tier of the division.
Pyfer holds a 7-1 record inside the Octagon since earning his contract through Dana White’s Contender Series in 2022. Pyfer is currently riding a four-fight win streak, having defeated Marc-Andre Barriault, Kelvin Gastelum, Abus Magomedov, and, most recently, former UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya. Meanwhile, Bo Nickal stands at 6-1 in the UFC, having rebounded from his lone career loss against former ONE Championship titleholder turned UFC contender Reinier de Ridder in May 2025 by securing impressive stoppages over Rodolfo Vieira and Kyle Daukaus. A matchup against either man would represent a stern test and an opportunity for Duncan to prove he remains a major player in the middleweight rankings.
Matheus Camilo
In the co-main event of the evening, veteran British striker Jai Herbert secured a hard-earned unanimous decision victory over a resilient and spirited Matheus Camilo. Despite pushing the pace and displaying immense heart throughout the contest, Camilo fell short on the judges’ scorecards, leaving him with an even .500 record through his first four appearances under the UFC banner.
As Camilo looks to bounce back from the setback, a logical next opponent would be the loser of the upcoming bout between Kyle Nelson and Christian Perez, scheduled for October 17. The timing of that event aligns ideally with Camilo’s current recovery and return timeline. Perez is set to make his promotional debut after securing his UFC contract on the Contender Series in August, boasting an impressive 15-2 professional record with his only recent blemish coming against Manuel Sousa during the 2025 season. Nelson, a seasoned UFC veteran with a 5-6-1 promotional record, has shared the Octagon with notable names such as Bill Algeo, Steve Garcia, Matt Frevola, and Terance McKinney, whom he faced in a rapid 24-second finish in his most recent outing. A pairing between Camilo and either Nelson or Perez promises a high probability of intense, violent action.
Ketlen Souza
The main card also featured a gritty strawweight encounter where eleventh-ranked Loopy Godinez overcame significant adversity to capture a unanimous decision victory over Ketlen Souza. The setback snapped a two-fight winning streak that Souza had built entirely during the 2026 calendar year. To make matters worse for the Brazilian contender, the loss was compounded by a difficult weight cut that saw her miss the limit, coming in heavy at 117 pounds. With this defeat, Souza moves to a 4-4 record within the UFC since being signed following her capture of the Invicta FC Flyweight Championship in 2023.
A logical direction for Souza’s next Octagon appearance would be a matchup against Julia Polastri. Polastri holds a 3-3 record in the UFC and, similarly to Souza, earned her contract through the Contender Series in 2023. Polastri previously dropped a unanimous decision to Loopy Godinez in March 2025 before bouncing back in August with a stunning first-round head-kick knockout victory over Xiong Jingnan. Notably, Polastri also experienced trouble on the scales during her career, having missed the strawweight limit at 119 pounds for her bout against Xiong. Given their shared histories and divisional positioning, this matchup makes a great deal of sense, even if their respective recovery timelines require some minor adjustments.
Kai Kamaka III
In the featherweight division, 28-fight UFC veteran Andre Fili delivered one of the most spectacular highlights of the night, landing a picture-perfect head kick that instantly folded Kai Kamaka III just seconds into the second round. The devastating knockout not only brought the arena to its feet but also earned Fili a well-deserved performance bonus.
For Kamaka, the loss continues a difficult stretch during his second stint with the promotion. Having previously gone 1-2-1 in the UFC between 2020 and 2021 before competing under the banners of Bellator and the PFL, Kamaka was re-signed in April. Following this latest defeat, he sits at 1-2 in his current run, having been finished in two of those losses, bringing his overall promotional record to 2-4.
To help him rebuild, a compelling next assignment for Kamaka would be the loser of the upcoming featherweight clash between Daniel Santos and Bolaji Oki, booked for the undercard of UFC 333 later this month. Santos holds a 4-2 record in the UFC since his arrival in 2022 and is eager to rebound from a Fight of the Night-winning effort against Doo Ho Choi, where a late second-round body shot ended his four-fight winning streak. Bolaji, a product of the 2023 Contender Series, holds a 2-3 promotional record and is currently looking to reverse a two-fight skid that included stoppage losses to Mason Jones and Manuel Sousa. With the 30-year-old Oki dropping down to the 145-pound division, a pairing against Kamaka would offer an intriguing test for both men.
Malcolm Wellmaker
The opening bout of the main card delivered high drama when Otari Tanzilovi survived early trouble to mount a furious comeback, ultimately stopping Malcolm Wellmaker with a brutal combination of a head kick and ground-and-pound to secure both the finish and a performance bonus.
The defeat plunges Wellmaker into a difficult slump, extending his losing streak to three consecutive fights, with his last two defeats coming by way of stoppage. The setback is a stark contrast to his arrival in 2024, when he signed with the premier MMA organization carrying an undefeated professional record. Following this latest result, Wellmaker stands at 2-3 inside the Octagon.
For his next outing, an appropriate opponent for Wellmaker would be the loser of the upcoming matchup between Timmy Cuamba and Louis Jourdain, scheduled for October 17. Given that Wellmaker suffered a stoppage loss, he will require a mandatory recovery period, but the 32-year-old will undoubtedly be eager to return to the cage and halt his current slide. Cuamba, a 2023 Contender Series graduate, holds a 2-3 promotional record, while Jourdain—brother of UFC veteran Charles Jourdain—earned his contract on the 2025 Contender Series and brings a 9-3 pro record and a four-fight winning streak into his promotional debut. The loser of that pairing would provide a fitting test for Wellmaker as both fighters attempt to re-establish their footing in the organization.
