Christian Leroy Duncan had it all calculated entering UFC on ESPN 72
UFC Vegas 109: Christian Leroy Duncan in ‘great position’ after KO
UFC on ESPN 72 winner Christian Leroy Duncan talks to MMA Junkie and other reporters post-fight after his first-round TKO of Eryk Anders in Las Vegas
LAS VEGAS – Spinning attacks are often a thing of the moment in MMA fights. However, that wasn’t the case for Christian Leroy Duncan at Saturday’s UFC on ESPN 72.
Duncan (12-2 MMA, 5-2 UFC) viciously knocked out veteran Eryk Anders (17-9 MMA, 9-9 UFC) in the first round of their middleweight contest at the UFC Apex. It was a collection of multiple shots that got Duncan the finish, but it was all initiated by a wild, spinning elbow that badly rocked Anders.
“We’ve been working on a lot of crazy techniques, but this one specifically from the southpaw, the way that he drops his hands, there’s a big opening on the inside, so we were working on that elbow off that kick,” Duncan told reporters at his UFC on ESPN 72 post-fight-news conference. “He was giving us the sign in there, so I took it as it came and it landed.”
With this result, Duncan is now on a two-fight winning streak and 4-1 in his past five outings. The bout at UFC on ESPN 72 marked the fourth time Duncan competed at the UFC Apex in his seven-fight run with the UFC. He’s hoping that for his next fight the promotion places him on a road event where he can fight in front of a crowd.
“I’m injury free, and that’s the main thing, and I like to stay active. I’d like to get back out here as soon as possible,” Duncan said. “I’m going to take a few weeks to this recovery overall, and I’ll be back in the gym and ready so that when the UFC calls, and they give me that name, I’m ready to move forward. It would be nice to be in front of a crowd because nothing matches that to the sound of the crowd. The Apex and Las Vegas are amazing places to be and experience, but now I want to be in front of a crowd.”
