Brendan Allen Springs Upset on Andre Muniz in UFC Fight Night 220 Main Event

Brendan Allen reasserted himself as a clear and present danger in the Ultimate Fighting Championship middleweight division.

The onetime Legacy Fighting Alliance titleholder submitted Andre Muniz with a rear-naked choke in the third round of their UFC Fight Night 220 headliner on Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. Muniz (23-5, 5-1 UFC) checked out 4:25 into Round 3, thus ending his run of nine consecutive victories.

Saturday's planned main event between Nikita Krylov and Ryan Spann was canceled after Krylov suffered an illness and was not medically cleared to compete. The news was first reported during the UFC Fight Night 220 broadcast at the start of the main card.

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Allen (21-5, 9-2 UFC) seized the reins from the start in the makeshift main event and remained the aggressor for the duration. He turned the tide in the middle stanza, where he countered a takedown into top position, applied his ground-and-pound and advanced position. Allen later delivered a high-amplitude takedown with a little more than two minutes to go in Round 3 and climbed to full mount under threat of an arm-triangle. Muniz surrendered his back in a final bid to shake free but failed to properly defend the choke. Allen eventually went palm-to-palm with his grip, tightened his squeeze and procured the tapout.

Sakai Clinches Smother Mayes

American Top Team’s Augusto Sakai put a stop to a career-worst four-fight winning streak, as he cruised to a unanimous decision over three-time Dana White’s Contender Series alum Don’Tale Mayes in the three-round heavyweight co-main event. Sakai (16-5-1, 5-4 UFC) swept the scorecards with matching 30-27 marks from the cageside judiciary.

Mayes (9-5, 2-3 UFC) was woefully inept. Sakai pressed him to the fence and assaulted him with knees to the head, body and legs at close range. It was a scene that repeated itself over and over again in the 15-minute encounter. Sakai struck for a takedown with roughly two minutes remaining in the third round and paired it with some mild but effective ground-and-pound to tie a bow on his performance.

The victory was Sakai’s first since May 30, 2020.

Returning Suarez Guillotines De La Rosa

In her first outing since June 8, 2019, “The Ultimate Fighter” Season 23 winner Tatiana Suarez disposed of Montana De La Rosa with a guillotine choke in the second round of their women’s flyweight feature. De La Rosa (12-8-1, 5-4-1 UFC) conceded defeat 2:51 into Round 2, suffering her first submission defeat in more than seven years.

Suarez (9-0, 6-0 UFC) ran the Elevation Fight Team export through a series of clinches in the first round and managed to gain a foothold with a takedown. She grounded De La Rosa again in the second, advanced to side control and then returned to an upright position after a scramble. Suarez bit down on a front headlock in the center of the cage, transitioned to the guillotine and wrapped her counterpart in full guard. Suddenly, the writing was on the wall for De La Rosa. She fought hard to free herself but had no choice to capitulate.

De La Rosa will head into her next assignment on the heels of back-to-back losses.

Malott Arm-Triangle Buries Lainesse

Niagara Top Team representative Mike Malott put away former Cage Fury Fighting Championships titleholder Yohan Lainesse with an arm-triangle choke in the first round of their welterweight showcase. Lainesse (9-2, 1-2 UFC) checked out 4:15 into Round 1, losing for the second time in three appearances.

Malott (9-1-1, 2-0 UFC) tested the waters with body kicks, then closed the distance and executed a takedown. From there, he progressed methodically, moved on the choke when the opportunity presented itself and climbed to a mounted position to prompt the tapout.

The 31-year-old Malott has won five fights in a row, all of them first-round finishes.