Athletes
Christian Leroy Duncan | Settled In And Starting To Flourish
British Middleweight Talks Learning On The Job Ahead Of Third Appearance Of 2025
Here’s a very simple truth that doesn’t get acknowledged enough about competing in the UFC: finding consistent success, especially in the early phases of one’s career, can be rather challenging.
While there are occasional outliers that buck the trend and skew perceptions because they manage to work their way forward expeditiously, the vast majority of athletes that matriculate to the Octagon experience growing pains and setbacks. Combined with the fact that prospects are touching down on the biggest stage in the sport with less experience than ever before and it should come as no surprise to anyone when, even blue-chip talents, struggle out of the chute.
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Christian Leroy Duncan is a prime example of this reality. The British middleweight arrived on the scene with an unblemished record, a Cage Warriors title over his shoulder, and carrying a ton of hype, but it’s only now, after three years and seven appearances, that we’re starting to see the skills and promise he showed prior to reaching the UFC on display inside the Octagon.
“There’s been a lot of things, inside and outside of the cage, that have made a big difference,” said Duncan, who is set to face Marco Tulio in Las Vegas on November 8. “You have to go through it to understand the changes that need to be made. You have to learn the lessons.
“You have to do it the hard way, and it has been that, but without those lessons, we wouldn’t be where we are now and where we’re going to be, so you have to be thankful at the same time.”
When the 30-year-old from Gloucester makes the walk this weekend, he’ll officially have more professional fights in the UFC than he had outside of the promotion.
In a bygone era, that would mean crossing the threshold into the Octagon anywhere between 12 and 15 times, maybe even closer to 20, but over the last several years, the timeline between getting started and getting a shot in the big leagues has shrunk considerably. As such, Duncan logged just seven pro appearances under the Cage Warriors banner before signing with the sport’s leading promotion, and on Saturday, he’ll make his eighth in the UFC.
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“You have to think: even though I had seven fights, those seven fights were in (26 months),” began Duncan, who went 7-0 with a title win, a successful title defense, and six stoppage victories during that time to establish himself as one of the most intriguing middleweight prospects in the sport. “My time in the pro ranks, to have the experience and develop, was short, but because of my ruin-ness, it got me through there. But when you get to this level in the UFC, you’re competing against guys that have been through that already and guys that have been professional for longer than I’ve been in the gym.
“I’m learning these lessons now at the highest level.”
Over the course of his first seven UFC appearances, Duncan posted a 5-2 record, earning a win by injury TKO in his debut before suffering his first defeat, and then adding consecutive victories on either side of a decision loss to Brazilian veteran Gregory Rodrigues.
Losing to “Robocop” last summer in Manchester surely stung and didn’t sit well, but it was another of those critical experiences that help an ascending talent get better, and “CLD” has certainly shown improvements since.
After getting things moving in the right direction again with a steady decision win over Andrey Pulyaev in March, Duncan faced off with Eryk Anders in August and posted a first-round stoppage win over the veteran middleweight, collecting a Performance of the Night bonus for his efforts. Not only was it the kind of highlight reel finish that harkened back to his dominant run through the Cage Warriors circuit, but it also served as an indicator to the British hopeful that all the work he’s been putting in is starting to produce the desired results.
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“It definitely affirms that where I am and where I need to be,” he said. “It affirms I’m in the right position at the right time now, especially going against somebody like Anders. I said it previously, but I’d been watching him (since I was) an amateur, and to be able to step in there and do what I did against him is definitely a big boost for me, and I carry that forward. You carry that even into training, knowing ‘Okay, I’m where I need to be, I’m in the right place’ and I can carry that forward and really lock in.
“I’m just excited now to see what other fights come in the future, and this one that I’ve got now with Tulio is definitely a good step up,” continued Duncan. “He’s a dangerous guy coming off a good streak as well, poses problems, and it gives me a chance to find the solutions, you know?
“I love these situations,” he added with a grin. “Same as with Anders, who was a big step up, and now with Tulio. It keeps that fire alive in training.”
A member of the outstanding Dana White’s Contender Series Class of ’24, Tulio has earned stoppage victories in each of his first two UFC appearances this year, blowing through Ihor Potieria on the opening card of the year before adding a second-round finish of Tresean Gore in April.
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The Chute Boxe Diego Lima representative is 14-1 overall and carries a 10-fight winning streak into Saturday’s contest, which Duncan agreed is positioned as a “which one of these two emerging talents takes another step forward?” type of matchup.
“I see it that way too: two dangerous guys that are coming up, definitely headed towards having a number next to their name,” he said. “For me, it’s the same with any opponent: it’s a challenge in my way that I need to get through in order to get to the next stage. This is a serious guy. This is a game opponent. We came down together as a team, did the ugly diligence, and the camp was a good camp going through. It’s a fight that excites you, when you see someone that has that kind of explosive style, you know it’s gonna be a fight.
“I like having these problems to solve.”
Successfully solving another challenging puzzle this weekend would give Duncan three wins this year, further driving home that he’s found his footing and is now ready to start making a real push forward in the division.
Middleweight has become deeper and more competitive over the last couple of years, making it more challenging to claim a spot in the rankings. That being said, halting Tulio’s winning streak and collecting a third consecutive win in 2025 would put Duncan in prime position to garner a number next to his name.
“It puts us on the cusp (of the rankings), for sure,” Duncan said. “If not in there, just outside, and it sets up an exciting 2026. I like to be active, so I’m gonna be on to them to get me in as soon as possible, God-willing everything goes well.
“This is just how I envisioned it,” he added, reflecting on the his 2025 campaign. “But I’ve still got the work to do, so we’ll see how the year finishes up.”
UFC Fight Night: Bonfim vs Brown took place live from UFC APEX in Las Vegas, Nevada on November 8, 2025. See the final Prelim & Main Card Results, Official Scorecards and Who Won Bonuses - and relive the action on UFC FIGHT PASS!