Christian Leroy Duncan
England
Stops vet in Round 1
Duncan defeated Eryk Anders via TKO (punches) at 3:53 of Round 1 at UFC Vegas 109 on Saturday.
ANALYSIS
Duncan entered as a big betting favorite (-500) against an aging veteran, and came through, though it was far from a flawless effort. The fight was stopped for multiple infractions early (an eye poke and a groin kick), and there were a few other infractions (a fence grab and another groin kick) that luckily for Duncan went unnoticed. Despite the trouble, he came through with the biggest moment of the fight, a spinning elbow that had Anders rattled. He proceeded to get Anders up against the fence and rattled off a string of unanswered punches, forcing referee Mark Smith to call off the proceedings. The finish would go on to earn Duncan -- who has now won back-to-back fights and four of his last five -- a $50,000 Performance of the Night bonus, one of four awarded on the evening.
Duncan entered as a big betting favorite (-500) against an aging veteran, and came through, though it was far from a flawless effort. The fight was stopped for multiple infractions early (an eye poke and a groin kick), and there were a few other infractions (a fence grab and another groin kick) that luckily for Duncan went unnoticed. Despite the trouble, he came through with the biggest moment of the fight, a spinning elbow that had Anders rattled. He proceeded to get Anders up against the fence and rattled off a string of unanswered punches, forcing referee Mark Smith to call off the proceedings. The finish would go on to earn Duncan -- who has now won back-to-back fights and four of his last five -- a $50,000 Performance of the Night bonus, one of four awarded on the evening.
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Scheduled against Anders
Duncan is scheduled to compete against Eryk Anders in a middleweight fight at UFC Vegas 109 on Aug. 9, per Marcel Dorff of Eurosport.nl.
ANALYSIS
UFC Vegas 109 will be Duncan's chance to log multiple wins in 2025. Duncan is already 1-0 after cruising past Andrey Pulyaev in March 22's UFC London event, for which he was the card's biggest favorite.
UFC Vegas 109 will be Duncan's chance to log multiple wins in 2025. Duncan is already 1-0 after cruising past Andrey Pulyaev in March 22's UFC London event, for which he was the card's biggest favorite.
Cruises as biggest favorite on card
Duncan defeated Andrey Pulyaev via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-26) at UFC Fight Night on Saturday in London.
ANALYSIS
Duncan struggled mightily in a unanimous decision loss to Gregory Rodrigues his last time out last July. The UFC gave him a prime rebound spot here as a -500 favorite, and he took advantage, albeit in underwhelming fashion. Facing a debuting fighter in Pulyaev, Duncan fought to his strengths, closing with a 116-36 edge in terms of total strikes landed. He didn't pile up any significant damage, but there's zero doubt which man won the fight. Now 4-2 in the UFC, the 29-year-old Duncan will hope to put together a prolonged winning streak.
Duncan struggled mightily in a unanimous decision loss to Gregory Rodrigues his last time out last July. The UFC gave him a prime rebound spot here as a -500 favorite, and he took advantage, albeit in underwhelming fashion. Facing a debuting fighter in Pulyaev, Duncan fought to his strengths, closing with a 116-36 edge in terms of total strikes landed. He didn't pile up any significant damage, but there's zero doubt which man won the fight. Now 4-2 in the UFC, the 29-year-old Duncan will hope to put together a prolonged winning streak.
Scheduled against newcomer
Duncan is scheduled to compete against Andrey Pulyaev in a middleweight fight at UFC London on March 22, per Marcel Dorff of Eurosport.nl.
ANALYSIS
Duncan will look to bounce back after finishing his 2024 with a decisive decision loss to Gregory Rodrigues at UFC 304 in Manchester. The 29-year-old Englishman will have another opportunity to fight in his home country against Pulyaev, who recently earned a contract through Dana White's Contender Series back in August.
Duncan will look to bounce back after finishing his 2024 with a decisive decision loss to Gregory Rodrigues at UFC 304 in Manchester. The 29-year-old Englishman will have another opportunity to fight in his home country against Pulyaev, who recently earned a contract through Dana White's Contender Series back in August.
Struggles mightily in defeat
Duncan lost to Gregory Rodrigues via unanimous decision (27-30, 27-30, 27-30) at UFC 304 on Saturday in Manchester, England.
ANALYSIS
Entering as a slight -130 favorite, Duncan had zero chance of winning this fight. He was thoroughly overwhelmed whenever Rodrigues went to his grappling game, and he didn't handle the strikes coming back his way well, constantly reaching for his opponent because he was worried about the power of the Brazilian. Duncan is long and lanky and good in open space, but there are serious questions regarding his all-around offensive arsenal. His 3-2 record in five UFC bouts simply isn't going to get the job done, even in a thin middleweight division.
Entering as a slight -130 favorite, Duncan had zero chance of winning this fight. He was thoroughly overwhelmed whenever Rodrigues went to his grappling game, and he didn't handle the strikes coming back his way well, constantly reaching for his opponent because he was worried about the power of the Brazilian. Duncan is long and lanky and good in open space, but there are serious questions regarding his all-around offensive arsenal. His 3-2 record in five UFC bouts simply isn't going to get the job done, even in a thin middleweight division.
Added to UFC 304
Duncan will face Robert Bryczek in a middleweight matchup at UFC 304 on July 27, Marcel Dorff of Eurosport.nl reports.
ANALYSIS
Duncan is a solid 3-1 to begin his run with the UFC, most recently defeating Claudio Ribeiro in March via second-round stoppage -- his second consecutive KO/TKO victory. He now faces Bryczek, a finisher on the regional circuits who fell short in his UFC debut against Ihor Potieria last February.
Duncan is a solid 3-1 to begin his run with the UFC, most recently defeating Claudio Ribeiro in March via second-round stoppage -- his second consecutive KO/TKO victory. He now faces Bryczek, a finisher on the regional circuits who fell short in his UFC debut against Ihor Potieria last February.