Dustin Poirier and Jorge Masvidal both reacted after Brendan Allen choked out Christian Leroy Duncan at UFC Vegas 122 on Saturday night, according to a 247Sports roundup of the two veterans’ responses.
That report’s headline is all we have. The exact wording of what Poirier and Masvidal posted isn’t in hand, so we’re not going to put words in their mouths. What we can say is that two of the more recognizable names of the last decade went out of their way to salute the guy.
The fight itself went long. Allen and Duncan made it into the fifth round before Allen got the finish, per Championship Rounds and ESPN MMA. Bovada called it a rear-naked choke. UFC Brasil’s Portuguese-language account summed up the moment better than most, writing “Se não bater, vai dormir!!” on X, which loosely means tap or go to sleep. Late finishes in five-round fights tell you something about a guy’s gas tank, and Allen still had enough in the fifth to take a back and lock it up.
View post on X
Who’s clapping
Poirier, who trains out of American Top Team, retired in 2025 with a 30-10 record and last fought July 19 of that year. He held the interim UFC lightweight title, challenged three times for the undisputed belt and twice for the BMF title, and is tied with Edson Barboza for the second most Fight of the Night awards in UFC history with 10. When a guy with that résumé takes time to give a middle-of-the-card name a shout, people notice.
Masvidal walked away from MMA in 2023 after 20 years and has since moved into pro boxing. He still owns the fastest knockout in UFC history at five seconds and held the symbolic BMF title. He knows what a finish looks like.
View post on X
What’s next
The immediate question showed up on X within minutes. Dovy (@DovySimuMMA) asked who Allen should fight next, which is exactly the right question after you choke someone in the fifth round of a main-event-length fight.
The sources don’t offer a name, a ranking, or a date. Allen’s job now is to get the UFC to give him one, and a pair of retired legends vouching for him on social media doesn’t hurt the pitch.
View post on X
