BRENDAN ALLEN Chokes Out Duncan in R5, Then CALLS OUT Dricus

A staph infection, a point deduction, and a fifth-round rear-naked choke. Allen's four-fight streak has him one win from the belt.

"Where's the champion? If not, where's Dricus?"

Brendan Allen did not wait for the sweat to dry. Moments after choking out Christian Leroy Duncan in the fifth round at UFC Vegas 122, the No. 5 middleweight - No. 4 after Tuesday's rankings update - went straight for the biggest names in the division.

This was more than a main-event win. Allen, 30, fought through a staph infection, survived a razor-close fight, and finished it when it mattered most. With four straight wins — and the middleweight division locked in a pay standoff — he has a real claim to be next in line for the belt.

THE FINISH

Allen submitted Duncan with a rear-naked choke at 2:46 of round five at the Meta Apex in Las Vegas. The win pushed his professional record to 28-7.

It was no runaway. Allen entered the fifth ahead 38-37 on all three scorecards, meaning he had to win the round or settle for a draw. Duncan had even been docked a point in the second round for poking Allen in the eye.

Then, seemingly out of nowhere, Allen took the back and ended it. Duncan, 31, saw his five-fight win streak snapped. It was the first stoppage defeat of his career — and it snapped his five-fight winning streak.

"Never complained, never made excuses, just found a way to win. That's the heart of a champion." — Belal Muhammad, on Allen fighting through a staph infection

THE FIGHT-WEEK NIGHTMARE

What the fans did not know: Allen was on antibiotics all week. Training partner Belal Muhammad revealed after the fight that Allen had been battling a staph infection since Tuesday of fight week, with five days of medication still to go.

Allen had already told the cameras he felt off. "I couldn't get out of the fog," he admitted. "Just felt a little slow tonight." Now we know why.

"He's tougher than I thought," Allen said of Duncan. "But we still got through it and got the job done."

THE CALLOUT

Then came the fun part. Allen took the microphone and went straight at the top of the division.

"You've been running for a little while," he said of former champion Dricus Du Plessis.

The timing is perfect. Champion Sean Strickland is in a standoff with the UFC over his pay for a defense against Nassourdine Imavov — and has even threatened to vacate the belt and go box Jake Paul. Allen sees the opening and he is not being subtle about it.

And this is no fluke streak. Allen's four straight wins came over Duncan, Edmen Shahbazyan, Reinier de Ridder, and Marvin Vettori — and the streak is now four and counting. That is a contender's resume, built the old-fashioned way.

THE PAY STANCE

Allen also weighed in on Strickland's pay fight at the post-fight press conference, and it was pure Allen. He backed the champion — but kept it honest about where he stands.

"You'll never hear me bitch about my pay," he said. "I'd love to have more money... the guys that don't need to fight, they can speak up and make those stands for more money. God bless you. I wish I could do that."

Four straight wins. A $100,000 Performance of the Night bonus. A staph infection he told nobody about until it was over. Brendan Allen is done asking politely — and the middleweight division is officially on notice. So here is the question: if not Strickland, if not Dricus — then who?