EXCLUSIVE: ‘CLD’ is ready to pass the test against dangerous Brazilian Marco Tulio in Las Vegas and continue his rise up the middleweight rankings in 2026
Christian Leroy Duncan is about to enter the danger zone – and the Gloucester middleweight couldn’t be more happy about it.
‘CLD’ has been in the UFC for nearly three years, but has really hit his stride in the last 12 months, claiming big wins over Russian Andrey Pulyaev and veteran star Eryk Anders.
Now the 30-year-old, who has showcased his versatile striking during his rise in the UFC since his debut in London in March 2023, wants to round off a fantastic 2025 with a victory over rising Brazilian star Marco Tulio at the Apex in Las Vegas tonight.
Believing he has the tools to take care of Tulio, he said: “It is an exciting fight as we are both creative strikers, and explosive too.
“I wasn’t too familiar with Marco when I first heard about the fight, but then when I did my research, I was like, ‘Yeah, okay, this is a serious opponent’.
“But these are the kind of fights that bring the most out of me, both in the octagon and throughout my fight camp. I think all my fights from now are going to be that kind of way.
“They’re going to be a step up each time – dangerous, more dangerous and more dangerous. However, this just makes me lock in even more, dial everything in, and I’m just looking forward to stepping in there against Tulio.”
Victory for Duncan, who is 5-2 in the UFC, would set up the chance to test himself against the best 185lb fighters in the octagon next year, with a ranking the Brit’s first target.
He added: “I like to be active and I have been this year, and I’ve had good opponents throughout this year, too.
“So I’m not looking too far ahead, but I could definitely line up a fight to potentially put a number [ranking] next to my name.
“That’s ultimately the goal, the vision for this year, and then we’ll take the rest as it comes.
“But I have to step in this weekend and deal with the puzzle or deal with the challenge that is Tulio. It is going to be an explosive fight, exciting definitely, and a real crowd-pleaser.”
Christian Leroy Duncan takes on Marco Tulio at UFC on ESPN: Bonfim vs Brown live at the UFC Apex in Enterprise, Nevada. The fight will be live on TNT Sports 2 from 12am on Sunday November 9.