Introduction
Saturday, April 2nd, English middleweight prospect Christian Leroy Duncan will be in action for Cage Warriors, where he will be looking continue his winning ways against Djati Melan. He will be looking for another win, as Duncan looks to strike gold as he angles to eventually get signed by the UFC. He represents Range Martial Arts Academy, a little-known camp in MMA. Let’s take a closer look at this prospect as this week’s “Prospect Spotlight.”
Strengths
Striking Variety: On the feet, Duncan is a solid fighter. He has the natural gift of length and range, we he uses effectively from the outside. He has good power and explosiveness as well, meaning he does damage quickly. His first three pro wins all came by way of knockout, including a knockout that started with a brutal spinning back kick. He also has a good killer instinct, where once he hurts his opponent, he smells blood in the water and goes for the kill.
Offensive Submissions: On the ground, most notably from top position, Duncan is very good at ending fights via submission. Although he has just one submission as a pro, he had seven submissions as an amateur. He’s shown a good, diverse arsenal in that time, finishing with different armlocks an chokes. His most recent pro outing saw him tap out Justin Moore with a rear-naked choke, which has earned him this title opportunity against the aforementioned Melan.
Needs Improvement
Counter-Wrestling: The chink in the armor of Duncan during his amateur career was when he would take on guys with wrestling. Not only were the wrestlers able to get him to the ground, they usually were able to hold him there. He needed to be a bigger threat off his back and also be able to get back to his feet where he held the striking advantage. He’s long and rangy, so that should help, but once his opponent is able to get a hold of him, he needs to be better at defending that takedown.
Outlook
UFC Prelim Fighter: For a guy who is just 5-0 as a pro, Duncan has a ton of experience and that will be an advantage for him going forward. He literally had 23 amateur fights before he turned pro, going 17-6 during that time. As a pro, he has looked greatly improved and he is looking like a guy primed for an eventual UFC run. He’s a good-sized middleweight, a good athlete and a guy that looks to be continually improving. He reminds me a bit of Darren Stewart, and if that’s the case, he will make the UFC roster and have a few fights with the company to mixed success, especially since the UFC middleweight roster has so many strong wrestlers.
MMA Intel 