Brendan Allen won a competitive five round battle with Christian Leroy Duncan tonight at UFC Fight Night 290, sealing the deal with a submission finish in the final five minutes.

Round One

Leg kick for Allen to start. CLD with a calf kick. Punches at close range from Allen. Leroy looks to return the favor but they end up in the clinch.

Duncan presses Allen into the cage. He looks for a few knees to the thigh. Now some punches to the body. Back to the knees.

Allen waits for his moment and then lands a trip takedown. Half the round remaining as CLD manages to stand back up, but Allen still has a body lock.

Allen dropping down for a takedown, but Duncan does well to work around that and now he’s the one pressing Allen into the cage again. Allen looking for knees. He turns into CLD.

Duncan with a knee and then separates. Straight left for him. Spinning elbow from Duncan. Straight right and a low kick. Body kick from Allen.

Left hand and then a left elbow behind it from CLD. Inside leg kick and another punch for Duncan late in the round.

Second Round

Leg kick for Allen. CLD reaches out with an open palm and causes an eyepoke, so Allen is given a time-out and the ref is deducted a point too.

They get back to it. Body kick for CLD and then a spinning kick to the body too. Elbow for him. Now a good knee to the body.

Straight left for Duncan. He gets that through again. Now an oblique kick. Low kicks exchanged.

Calf kick for Allen. Body kick for him. He clinches up and tries for a knee. CLD with a knee to the body. Allen goes for the body lock and lands a takedown with half the round remaining.

Allen in side control here. He works around towards the back. Plenty of control time from Allen here, but can’t quite find the opportunity to sink a choke in.

Round Three

Allen immediately drives in for a takedown. CLD trying to fend it off, but Allen is determined and gets him down.

Allen trying to get a submission, but Duncan escapes and gets on top. Now it’s Duncan who is working to the back. However, he tries to go for a rear-naked choke and overcommits, enabling Allen to scramble back on top.

Allen in Duncan’s closed guard here. He lands an elbow. Grinding elbows for him as we reach the half-way mark in the round.

Allen looking for a submission again and Duncan drives up, and when Allen looks to bring him down Duncan is able to stuff it and get on top.

Final minute of the round and Duncan is in half-guard. He lands an elbow and then adjusts to prevent a scramble from Allen. Duncan trying to set up an arm-triangle, but it doesn’t pay off. A couple of punches land for CLD.

Round Four

Push kick and an oblique kick from CLD as he tries to maintain distance. More push kicks from him.

Big left hook lands for Allen. Jab for CLD. Another push kick from Duncan.

Inside leg kick from Duncan. Another leg kick and then a punch behind it. Jab for Allen.

Body kick for Allen. He’s constantly trying to march him down. Inside leg kick and an elbow from Duncan and Allen fires back.

Jab for CLD. He tries for a flurry, but Allen lands a right hand. A couple of jabs for Duncan.

Allen looks to clinch up but CLD gets away. Jab for Allen. Oblique kick from Duncan. Now outside leg kicks and Allen lands one too. Inside leg kick and a jab from CLD>

Straight punches from Duncan, though not with the same snap as earlier in the fight.

Jabs exchanged. Now a one-two from Duncan. He lands a jab. Right and a left from Duncan. Now a left hand. Right hand over the top from Allen.

Body kick from Allen. Swatting jabs from Duncan and fakes a spin.

Round Five

Jab for Duncan. CLD with an active combination. Knee to the body for him.

Now a left hand for CLD. Allen is throwing too, but not connecting as cleanly.

Knee and punches from Duncan. Now a spinning kick to the body. Wheel kick from Duncan comes off the guard. Allen clinches up against the cage and tries for a takedown. Duncan stops that, but Allen shunts around to his back.

Allen trying to break Duncan’s base and manages to drag him down. CLD in almost a sitting position here and lands some big elbows behind him that land clean. Allen wears those well though.

Allen suddenly seizing on a rear-naked choke and he’s got it tight! Duncan is trying his best to fight this off, but it’s too late and he has to tap out at 2:46mins of the 5th round.