Brendan Allen has proven to be an increasing issue for other competitors in the Ultimate Fighting Championship middleweight division. Allen, a representative for the Kill Cliff Fight Club, successively advanced at 185 pounds when he defeated Paul Craig using a rear-naked choke in UFC Fight Night 232’s headliner on a Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. Craig conceded defeat barely 38 seconds into the third round, signifying his second ever submission in his 25-year career.
Allen managed to avoid sure disaster in round one when he narrowly got away from a calf slicer from the former British Association of Mixed Martial Arts champion. After that, Allen dominated the fight. He controlled their grappling exchanges and dealt a severe injury to the Scotman’s left eyebrow with an elbow strike. He further established himself as the skilled fighter by ripping into Craig with a two-punch combination right from the start of the third round. He then got into top position and moved to the back to strongly inflict the choke. Allen, aged 27, will be stepping into his next fight riding a six-time victory streak.
Michael Morales of Entram Gym outpointed Jake Matthews during the three-round welterweight co-main event thanks to his sharp jab and stinging leg kicks. Matthews, though performing well on occasion, was unable to counter all the physical disadvantages he was presented with. The 29-year-old Matthews has so far lost three of his past five matches. There were other notable performances, including former Dominate Fighting Championship titleholder Chase Hooper who won over Jordan Leavitt with a rear-naked choke in their lightweight showcase. Hooper showed his skills in the sport when he forced Leavitt into a submission just 2:58 minutes into the first round.