Brendan Allen stops Duncan for 4th straight win, calls out Du Plessis

Allen submits Duncan with rear-naked choke in Round 5 to end his 5-fight win streak

Veteran Meerschaert announces retirement after 6th consecutive loss

Brendan Allen (left) lands a knee to the body of Christian Leroy Duncan during their UFC Fight Night middleweight bout in Las Vegas on Sunday (Korean Standard Time). [UFC]

UFC middleweight No. 4 Brendan Allen extended his winning streak to four and called out former champion Dricus Du Plessis of South Africa as his next opponent.

Allen submitted No. 10-ranked Christian Leroy Duncan of England via rear-naked choke at 2 minutes 46 seconds of Round 5 in the main event of UFC Fight Night: Allen vs. Duncan at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas on Sunday (Korean Standard Time).

The victory improved Allen's record to 28-7 and marked his seventh UFC win by rear-naked choke alone. Duncan, meanwhile, saw his five-fight winning streak come to an end.

The fight was a back-and-forth contest between the striker Duncan and the grappler Allen. Allen struggled in the opening round, absorbing left hooks, a spinning elbow and a flurry of punches from Duncan. He found his footing in Rounds 2 and 3, however, using takedowns, ground-and-pound and submission attempts to shift the momentum. Duncan was also docked a point in Round 2 for an eye poke.

Duncan came out swinging again in Round 4, but Allen had the last word. In the fifth, Allen took Duncan's back, secured the takedown and locked in the rear-naked choke. Duncan resisted before ultimately tapping out.

"Duncan was tougher than I expected," Allen said after the fight. "I had a tough time early and was moving slow, but I overcame it and got the win."

Allen immediately called out former champion Du Plessis, currently ranked No. 2 at middleweight. "I've fought two hungry prospects in a row that nobody else wanted to fight," he said. "It's time to get rewarded." He called for a matchup against a higher-ranked opponent.

He then turned his attention to the top of the division. "Where is champion Sean Strickland? Where is Du Plessis?" he said. "Du Plessis keeps running away."

Gerald Meerschaert (right) throws a straight punch at Julius Walker during their UFC Fight Night light heavyweight bout in Las Vegas on Sunday (Korean Standard Time). [UFC]

Meanwhile, UFC middleweight veteran Gerald Meerschaert brought his nearly 20-year career to a close at the same event.

Meerschaert lost to Julius Walker, 27, of the United States by TKO at 3 minutes 35 seconds of Round 2 in a light heavyweight bout. After his sixth consecutive defeat, Meerschaert removed his gloves in the octagon and announced his retirement.

Meerschaert turned professional in 2007 and finished with an overall record of 37-23 across 60 fights, going 12-15 inside the UFC. In UFC middleweight competition, he holds the all-time records for most submission wins (11) and most finishes (12), and ranks second all-time in appearances with 26 fights.

In his final octagon interview, Meerschaert said he was proud of what he had accomplished. "I did pretty well for myself and set a few records," he said. "I can't fight forever. I have a job that supports my family and I can't imagine a better one. I'm going to miss you all."

yjc@heraldcorp.com