Christian Leroy Duncan and Gregory Rodrigues meet Saturday on the main card of UFC 304 at Co-op Live in Manchester, England. Check out this quick breakdown of the matchup from MMA Junkie analyst Dan Tom.
Last event: 3-2
UFC main cards, 2024: 61-54-3
Duncan (10-1 MMA, 3-1 UFC) has people excited after winning three of his first four UFC fights. He’s coming off back-to-back finishes of Denis Tiuliulin and Claudio Ribeiro. … Affectionately known as “Robocop,” Rodrigues (15-5 MMA, 6-2 UFC) will also enter on the strength of back-to-back finishes.
I can see why everyone is so excited about the prospects of Duncan given that he has all the classic attributes everyone from gamblers to pundits pop for: flashy offense, undeniable swagger and a long, athletic frame and look that many automatically associate/conflate with skills ceiling.
Although I’m leaving the door open to be pleasantly surprised in regards to Duncan (who is still developing, mind you), this might be one of those spots where I have to see it before I believe it.
Duncan appears to smartly be working on key areas like his boxing and wrestling given that his natural offensive kicking flows often lead him into this area anyways. However, I suspect that those sensibilities could be dangerous given that Rodrigues is the superior wrestler and submission grappler by a country mile.
Add in the fact that Rodrigues is the more proven product who packs some serious heat, and I can’t help but side with “Hobocop” in this spot.
The pick is Rodrigues by rear-naked choke in Round 2.
Duncan is listed as a slight favorite at -110, with Rodrigues coming back at +130, according to DraftKings.
Duncan and Rodrigues are expected to walk out to the cage at approximately 10:45 p.m. ET. The fight will stream on ESPN+ pay-per-view.
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 304.
