Brendan Allen submits BJJ ace Andre Muniz late in UFC Vegas 70 main event
The Ultimate Fighting Championship returned to us tonight, February 25, 2023, for UFC Vegas 70, going down live from the UFC Apex in Enterprise, Nevada.
Headlining the event was expected to be a light-heavyweight bout between a pair of dangerous finishers in no. 6 ranked Nikita Krylov (29-9) and no. 8 ranked Ryan Spann (21-7).
However, just prior to the main card beginning Krylov fell ill and was rendered unable to compete.
Therefore, our co-main event between streaking middleweight talents Andre Muniz (23-4) and Brendan Allen (20-5) was promoted to the three-round main event of the evening.
Muniz, a 3rd-degree BJJ black belt and the only man to ever submit Jacare Souza in MMA, came into the bout on a nine-fight win streak, having secured six finishes with four armbars in that time, while Allen came in having won his last three-straight, securing two rear naked choke finishes in that time.
Continue reading to see how this three-round main event of the evening went down:
Official Result: Brendan Allen def. Andre Muniz via submission (rear naked choke) at 4:25 of round three
Allen is looking very sharp in the early goings of the fight, finding his distance with the inside leg kick. Most of his punches are falling short however, and Muniz lands a nasty spinning back kick to his midsection halfway through round one that backs him up momentarily. Muniz also lands a thunderous right hand that turns Allen’s whole head around, though he remains unfazed by it.
The striking numbers are close through the first five minutes.
Muniz shoots in on a takedown midway through the second and nearly secures top position, only to be reversed by Allen and wind up on his back for the remainder of the round.
Allen spent much of this time in side control. Many of us thought Allen would need to use his striking to win this fight, but it looks like his grappling might actually be his path to victory.
Though Allen is controlling the center through most of the fight, Muniz continues to land heavy punches on the feet.
Allen catches a kick in the third and final round and picks Muniz up and slams him down to the mat.
Allen is right into side control, before he passes to half guard and then mount. He goes for an arm-triangle choke, though he’s unable to secure it and takes Muniz’ back in the process.
How crazy would it be for Brendan Allen to submit Andre Muniz is what we were all thinking, and as soon as he has Muniz’ back he’s searching for the rear naked choke. Then with 25 seconds left on the clock he does it, he submits Muniz with a rear naked choke.
This is certainly the early candidate for 2023 Submission of the Year, as Brendan Allen becomes the first man to ever submit Andre Muniz, snapping his nine-fight win streak in the process.
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