A Tullibody martial artist will fulfil his dreams when he makes his UFC debut later this year.
Chris Duncan, originally from Strathyre, will step into the iconic octagon to make his debut for the world’s most famous fight promotion at the O2 Arena, in London, on March 18.
Duncan, 29, will step into the cage as part of the UFC 286 pay-per-view show against Polish fighter Michal Figlak.
Scrapper Duncan fights out of the Evo Gym, in Colquhoun Street, Stirling, but will complete his final preparations for the bout in Florida and the famed American Top Team gym.
He secured his opportunity to fight for the promotion with a spectacular knockout victory last summer.
The MMA prospect flew to the UFC Apex Centre last summer for his fight with American fighter Charlie Campbell on the Dana White Contender Series – a series in which hopeful fighters compete to try and secure a contract with the world’s top MMA promotion.
Duncan, nicknamed “The Problem”, weathered an early storm, sustaining a number of hard punches and appearing to be badly hurt in the opening minutes of the first round.
However, the heavy-handed lightweight refused to accept defeat and fired back with a straight right-hand to the American’s chin, knocking him unconscious.
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The spectacular victory was enough for the UFC president, Dana White, to hand Duncan the coveted UFC contract for the heroic performance.
It was Duncan’s second appearance on the Dana White Contender Series, having been previously defeated in October 2021 when he was knocked out in the second round.
The UFC286 show looks set to see a host of top MMA names competing and Duncan will be hoping to have the backing of a rowdy home support.
The former McLaren High School pupil previously gave up his job as a shepherd in Glen Lochay, near Killin, to take up the combat sport full-time. Duncan’s signing with the UFC is the Stirling area’s most recent connection to the organisation.
Now the world’s top fighting promotion, in March 2017 we told how the sport was born in Cowie.
The brains behind the multi-billion dollar organisation was born and bred in the village four miles from Stirling.
TV producer Campbell McLaren, 66, co-founded the UFC in 1993. Campbell was born and raised in Cowie before he emigrated to America with his family aged just seven. The businessman first brainstormed the idea of a mixed martial arts championship while working at a pay-per-view company owned by the music giant BMG.
However, his journey began in Cowie, where he was born in 1956.
