UFC Vegas 111 seemed like another disappointing Apex card, but this one certainly exceeded expectations. Gloucester’s own Christian Leroy Duncan delivered a bonus winning finish to kick off the main card, a main card delivering five ferocious finishes and two bonus winning performances.
Christian Leroy Duncan vs. who?
The main draw was two big middleweight prospects hoping to secure a spot in the rankings with a violent victory. Englishman Christian Leroy Duncan emerged victorious with a huge KO in the second round. Leroy Duncan has been one to watch since coming to the UFC from Cage Warriors in 2023. His flashy, striking style is exciting to watch and his series of spinning attacks will always catch the eye. One of those spins won him the match here after Marco Tulio wobbled with an excellent spinning back fist before following up with a sharp right hand that knocked Tulio out cold.
One of Leroy Duncan’s UFC losses was a step up in competition against Gregory Rodrigues last year. Now with the win this weekend, I think it’s time we see him take another step forward. Given the wealth of contenders on the fringes of the middleweight rankings, ‘CLD’ will most likely compete with another unranked middleweight.
In 2025, Edmen Shahbazyan has revived his career with three consecutive wins, propelling himself up the rankings. The American is 9-5 in the UFC and a great veteran option for CLD to try and navigate. He is a well-known fighter with a great resume and scalping him would be the biggest win of Leroy Duncan’s career.
Alternatively, Shara Magomedov now 5-1 in the UFC quickly became a fan favorite and one to watch. Not only does he look like a villain, but he also has a bad fighting style that is very similar to ‘CLD’. However, the Englishman would most likely have to head to the Middle East to face Magomedov as the UFC found it difficult to bring him to different areas.
The final suggestion is Shara’s namesake, Abus Magomedov. Germany’s Dagestani is seven fights into his UFC career and has had mixed results. He recently suffered a loss to Joe Pyfer, who is now ranked 15th in the rankings. However, prior to that defeat last month, he was on a three-fight win streak in rich form. As a litmus test for Christian Leroy Duncan, he is perfect and offers a route to the middleweight rankings.
Who do you want to see the next exciting Englishman with?
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