Brendan Allen competed through staph infection at UFC Fight Night

Brendan Allen secured a fifth-round submission victory against Christian Leroy Duncan during their middleweight bout on October 10, 2026, at the Meta Apex in Las Vegas. Following the contest, Allen's teammate Belal Muhammad revealed that Allen had been dealing with a staph infection since the Tuesday leading up to the event.

According to Muhammad, Allen was placed on a course of antibiotics that he continued to take after the fight. Muhammad shared images online showing the severity of the infection, which he described as an open wound on the fighter's back, along with video footage of Allen walking with visible discomfort during fight week.

Despite the medical condition, Allen competed for over 22 minutes before finishing the fight with a rear-naked choke. Muhammad noted that Allen did not complain or offer excuses regarding his health status prior to the victory.