Christian Leroy Duncan

Duncan passed the sternest test of his UFC run by out-working Jared Cannonier for fifteen minutes. He was the quicker and more effective striker through the first two rounds and mixed in wrestling to stop the veteran ever setting his feet, taking two cards clean at 30-27, 30-27 and 29-28.

Key moments

• Beat Cannonier to the punch consistently with faster, more varied striking.
• Used wrestling entries to deny Cannonier the chance to plant and load up.
• Held off a late Cannonier push to take the unanimous decision.

Duncan beat Roman Dolidze by unanimous decision in his most recent outing and answered a difficult style test with a cleaner three-round performance. The result mattered because Dolidze is the sort of strong, awkward middleweight who can force prospects out of their comfort zone quickly.

Key moments

• Won a unanimous decision after three rounds.
• Added a veteran UFC name to the recent winning run.
• Followed the Marco Tulio and Eryk Anders finishes with a more measured scorecard win.

The Marco Tulio fight was a sharp reminder of why Duncan remains such an interesting middleweight prospect, because he found a spinning backfist finish deep enough into the fight that it looked set up rather than random. It was violent, clean and completely in character with the sort of strike selection he likes to build toward.

Key moments

• Won by second-round knockout at 3:28.
• The finishing sequence began with a spinning backfist and was sealed with follow-up punches.
• Kept the UFC run moving after the rebound win over Eryk Anders.

Duncan stopped Eryk Anders in the first round with one of the most Duncan finishes possible: a spinning back elbow followed by punches. Beating a durable veteran that quickly was exactly the sort of rebound statement he needed after the Rodrigues loss.

Key moments

• Knocked out Anders in round one at 3:53.
• Used a spinning back elbow to create the finishing sequence.
• Snapped back into form after the unanimous-decision loss to Gregory Rodrigues.

Duncan outpointed Andrey Pulyaev over three rounds and showed he could keep his shape through a full technical fight without relying on a late highlight. That kind of steadier win matters for him because it balances the record's more explosive finishes.

Key moments

• Won a unanimous decision after three rounds.
• Banked a controlled UFC victory without needing a stoppage.
• Set up the later Anders matchup as a chance to push the pace harder again.

Rodrigues handed Duncan a unanimous-decision loss in Manchester and showed how much pressure and physicality can disrupt the range game when Duncan is forced to spend too much time reacting. It was a useful setback because the fights after it showed him adjusting instead of drifting.

Key moments

• Lost a unanimous decision over three rounds.
• Absorbed his first defeat since joining the UFC roster.
• Answered the loss with later wins over Pulyaev, Anders, Marco Tulio and Dolidze.

Duncan turned the Claudio Ribeiro fight into one of his cleaner UFC performances by taking over once the bout hit the mat in the second round. After a measured first frame, he forced the finishing sequence with top pressure and closed with elbows and punches for the stoppage in Las Vegas.

Key moments

• Stopped Ribeiro at 1:57 of round two.
• The finish came through ground-and-pound after Duncan gained top position.
• It gave Duncan back-to-back UFC stoppage wins after the Denis Tiuliulin finish.

Duncan handled the late opponent switch at UFC Fight Night 232 and broke down Denis Tiuliulin for a second-round stoppage. He did a lot of the work in the clinch, controlling Tiuliulin along the fence with knees and body-lock pressure before the finishing elbows and punches arrived late in the round.

Key moments

• Finished Tiuliulin by TKO at 4:24 of round two.
• Used long stretches of clinch control and knees to wear down the short-notice replacement.
• It was Duncan's first UFC win by a fully authored finish rather than injury.

Petrosyan handed Duncan the first loss of his professional career by out-striking him over three rounds at the Apex. Duncan's unorthodox offense still flashed at moments, but Petrosyan stayed cleaner and more efficient often enough to spoil the early UFC momentum.

Key moments

• Lost a unanimous decision over fifteen minutes in his second UFC appearance.
• Petrosyan's cleaner kickboxing gave Duncan his first career defeat.
• The setback split Duncan's first two UFC bouts after the debut win over Dusko Todorovic.

Duncan's UFC debut ended awkwardly when Todorovic suffered a knee injury during an early exchange and could not continue. The finish was anti-climactic, but it still gave Duncan a London win in his first Octagon appearance after arriving as a Cage Warriors champion.

Key moments

• Won his UFC debut by injury TKO at 1:52 of round one.
• Todorovic's damaged knee ended the fight before Duncan could build a full performance.
• The bout took place on the UFC 286 card in London.

Duncan defended the Cage Warriors middleweight title by stopping Marian Dimitrov late in the opening round in Manchester. The finish again came through one of Duncan's signature spinning attacks, which let him preserve the belt in the same highlight-heavy style that won it months earlier.

Key moments

• Stopped Dimitrov at 4:56 of round one.
• The finishing sequence was built around a spinning back elbow and follow-up punches.
• It served as Duncan's first successful defense of the Cage Warriors middleweight title.

Duncan won the Cage Warriors middleweight belt by stopping the previously unbeaten Djati Melan in the third round. The flying-knee finish was exactly the kind of dramatic strike that had defined his rise and it turned a prospect run into a title-winning one.

Key moments

• Won the Cage Warriors middleweight championship with a third-round TKO at 0:48.
• The finishing blow was a flying knee before the follow-up punches.
• Handed Melan the first loss of his professional career.

Justin Moore stepped in after an opponent shuffle and Duncan still produced one of the more rounded wins of his Cage Warriors run. He finished Moore with a first-round rear-naked choke, showing there was real grappling depth behind the spinning-strike highlights.

Key moments

• Submitted Moore at 2:24 of round one.
• Moore replaced John-Martin Fraser after the original booking moved and changed.
• The bout was contested at a 190-pound catchweight.

The rematch with Will Currie gave Duncan his first professional decision win and proved he could handle a full three-round fight after blasting Currie in the first meeting. He stayed in control across all fifteen minutes and left no doubt on the cards in London.

Key moments

• Won a unanimous decision over Currie in their rematch.
• It was Duncan's first career victory that reached the scorecards.
• The win moved him to 4-0 before the Justin Moore bout later that year.

Duncan barely needed any time to finish Will Currie in their first meeting at Cage Warriors 120. The stoppage came 18 seconds into the opening round and set up a rematch three months later with Duncan still unbeaten.

Key moments

• Stopped Currie at 0:18 of round one.
• The quick finish led directly to a rematch at Cage Warriors 123.
• It improved Duncan to 3-0 as a pro.

Duncan's second professional fight produced an early example of the creative striking that became his calling card. He stopped Lukasz Marcinkowski with a spinning heel kick and follow-up punches in the first round at Cage Warriors 119.

Key moments

• Stopped Lukasz Marcinkowski at Cage Warriors 119.
• The finish came by spinning heel kick and punches at 1:00 of round one.
• The win moved Duncan to 2-0 early in his Cage Warriors run.

Duncan's professional debut ended with a second-round stoppage of Kyle McClurkin in Manchester. It was a strong first showing at middleweight and started the run that would eventually carry him from Cage Warriors prospect to Cage Warriors champion to UFC signing.

Key moments

• Won his pro debut by TKO at 0:12 of round two.
• The bout marked Duncan's middleweight debut as a professional.
• Started the 14-2 record with an opening Cage Warriors finish.