LAS VEGAS—In a battle of rising middleweight contenders, Brendan Allen proved superior, scoring an impressive decision win over vaunted grappling ace Andre Muniz.
The bout, which took place at the UFC Apex, was elevated to the UFC Fight Night 220 main event when a planned headliner between Ryan Spann and Nikta Krylov was scrapped just hours before the fighters were set to walk to the cage. A Krylov illness forced the late change.
Allen and Muniz engaged in a striking battle to open their three-round contest, with each having moments of success. Allen's best strikes included a straight right hand, while Muniz capitalized with a spinning kick to the body, as well as a few crisp hooks, leaving judges split on the winner of the first frame.
The two continued to trade on the feet in the second, with Allen controlling the center but forced to respect his opponent's power shots in reply. Muniz was quicker to the takedown in the frame, but as he drove the action to the canvas, Allen countered with a well-timed sweep and ended up in the dominant position. While Muniz is known for his incredible grappling skills, Allen kept the pressure high from the top and maintained the top spot without facing much threat.
Muniz was aggressive to start the third, landing several powerful hooks when his opponent was in range. Allen did his best to return fire before surprising with his own takedown with two minutes remaining. From there, he deftly moved to the back and threatened with a rear-naked choke. Muniz did his best to battle the hands but was eventually forced to tap out with just 45 seconds remaining.
"I knew he was going to try and take me down, so I wanted to stuff him to show my good stuff and reverse him when he did take me down" Allen said. "Coach told me going into the second round, 'He's got nothing for you on the ground. I told you. I told you. I told you.'"
With the result, the unranked Allen (21-5 MMA, 9-2 UFC) now boasts an impressive four-fight win streak. Muniz (23-5 MMA, 5-1 UFC), who entered the contest ranked No. 11, sees a nine-fight win streak snapped, losing for the first time in the UFC.
Complete UFC Fight Night 220 results include:
Main Card (ESPN+)
- Brendan Allen def. Andre Muniz via submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 3, 4:25
- Augusto Sakai def. Don'Tale Mayes via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
- Tatiana Suarez def. Montana De La Rosa via submission (guillotine choke) – Round 2, 2:51
- Mike Malott def. Yohan Lainesse via submission (arm-triangle choke) – Round 1, 4:15
