With Dricus Du Plessis and Kamaru Usman looking to put themselves in Middleweight title conversation in the main event, emerging UK 185lb fighter Christian Leroy Duncan will be looking to make a statement of his own.
The 30-year-old faces veteran former title challenger Jared Cannonier in the co-main event.
Jared Cannonier v Christian Leroy Duncan Tips Preview
This is without a doubt the biggest fight of Leroy Duncan's career to date.
CLD arrives in the midst of a four-fight winning streak, having defeated another experienced, ranked fighter in Roman Dolidze by unanimous decision in March.
The run also included highlight reel finishes, with a second-round spinning backfist KO of Marco Tulio, while a spinning back elbow also saw the beginning for the end for Eryk Anders in the first round of their contest.
Leroy Duncan brings speed, variety in his attacks and manages distance well, which could make life difficult for Cannonier.
The 42-year-old suffered a KO loss to a similar style last time out when he was outstruck by CLD's fellow UK fighter Michael "Venum" Page.
The American tried to grapple and push the Englishman back against the cage, but had limited success.
Cannonier does bring a significant experience factor, having fought a who’s who at middleweight throughout his 20-fight run in the UFC, including a 2022 decision win over now champion Sean Strickland.
That victory came directly after a title challenge against Israel Adesanya ended in a unanimous decision defeat.
However, Cannonier's best days are most definitely behind him and this could be Leroy Duncan's time to shine.
Jared Cannonier v Christian Leroy Duncan Tale of the Tape
Jared Cannonier | Christian Leroy Duncan | |
Record: | 18-9 | 14-2 |
Age: | 42 | 30 |
Birthplace: | Dallas, Texas, USA | Gloucester, England |
Height: | 5' 11" | 6' 2" |
Stance: | Orthodox | Switch |
Last Fight: | Loss (UD) v Michael Page (Aug 25) | Win (UD) v Roman Dolidze (Mar 26) |
KO%: | 56% (of wins) | 71% (of wins) |
Alias: | Tha Killa Gorilla | CLD |
Jared Cannonier v Christian Leroy Duncan Top Tip
Christian Leroy Duncan to win & Over 1.5 rounds @ 10/13
Leroy Duncan is the pick here to have his coming out party in a prime slot.
CLB has several physical advantages, including three inches in height and two inches in reach.
With his faster feet and hand speed, greater striking accuracy and considerably lower absorption rate, he could make this a bad night at the office for Cannonier.
Once upon a time Cannonier could've added explosiveness to his natural strength inside the Octagon, however, he does look to have significantly slowed down and is unlikely to be able to nullify the Englishman's best weapons by spoiling this against the cage.
Leroy Duncan is one of the more athletic 185lb'ers on the roster and in controlling the distance here can land significant damage when stepping into range and potentially be able to force a late finish.
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This article was written by a partner sports writer via Spotlight Sports Group. All odds displayed on this page were correct at the time of writing and are subject to withdrawal or change at any time.
