UFC Fight Night: A Battle For Top 15 As Chris Duncan Faces Mateusz Rębecki Problem
Submission specialist Chris Duncan battles relentless Mateusz Rębecki in a high-stakes UFC Apex co-main, with both lightweights seeking a statement win and top-15 breakthrough
On the eve of UFC Fight Night: Taira vs. Park at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, anticipation simmers—not only for the flyweight headliner but for a co-main event brimming with grit. In that penultimate slot, Chris Duncan steps out of the shadows, representing Scotland and all that his improbable journey entails. He faces Mateusz Rębecki, Poland's war-hardened contender, with both men eyeing a surge up lightweight's stacked hierarchy.
This latest Apex card is more than a routine Saturday scrap. Its main event—unbeaten Japanese phenom Tatsuro Taira versus Korean finisher HyunSung Park—promises fireworks, but all week, the Duncan-Rębecki collision has buzzed with both sitting just outside lightweight's elite.
Duncan, 13-2 as a pro, has transformed in recent years from plucky striker to a dangerous, submission-savvy contender. His rise is quietly extraordinary: 'My background as a shepherd—it's given me a work ethic and patience you don't often see in this game," he had once reflected.
After losing his mother in 2014, Duncan grappled with grief, but found in martial arts 'solace and purpose'. in the Highland gyms. That heavy inheritance surfaced again when he secured an emotional win in Paris—one forever entwined with his mother's memory. 'Mainly for the reason I got the chance to give a shout out to my mother who passed away in 2014. That was maybe a moment that I want to be able to cherish forever," Duncan shared with both pride and longing. 'My mother didn't have any possessions or anything to leave behind, so I've always got that to be able to share with the world."
He carries those motivations into a fight whose stakes are unambiguous. Rębecki arrives with a formidable 20-2 ledger and a 4-1 UFC record, renowned for his forward pressure and merciless pace—attributes not lost on Duncan. 'He's aggressive… forward pressure sticks out. We've been working on countering that with movement, footwork, and many other things," Duncan says—acknowledging the challenge while hinting at confident preparation.
Echoing that self-belief, Duncan notes, 'I feel like I've got the power edge and the cardio edge… that's something we're definitely going to capitalise on." With a guillotine choke now a regular feature of his arsenal—honed at American Top Team, inspired by tips from Dustin Poirier—Duncan has become a multidimensional threat.
What separates Duncan now is not just technique but maturity. Training with world-class teammates, he's learned restraint: 'My ability to understand my body and when to take my foot off the gas… at American Top Team, they pull you back, say, 'That's enough.' Not sparring crazy hard all the time—it's made a big difference."
While he reviews fight footage, he prefers to keep things simple: 'It's more about angles, being safe, and problem-solving on the night." He's not just comfortable in chaos; he's learned to navigate it, often with subtle, under-the-radar skills. 'People underestimate my grappling massively," he smiles. 'Hopefully Rębecki tries to take me down at the weekend so I can showcase that."
Now, with Rębecki ranked just outside the top 20, Duncan sees opportunity: 'After that, it puts me in a really good position to start attacking the top 15. I'm not just here to make up the numbers—I want to be competing at the highest level."
As the hours tick down to UFC Fight Night, Duncan's journey—rooted in the Highlands, shadowed by loss, shaped by hard work—sharpens into focus. He jokes, 'I'm a lover, not a fighter," relishing the moment and the long road that brought him here.
Watch the UFC Fight Night – Albazi vs. Taira on 3rd August, 2025 from 3:30 AM IST live on Sony Sports Ten 1 SD & HD, Sony Sports Ten 3 Hindi SD & HD , Sony Sports Ten 4 Tamil & Sony Sports Ten 4 Telugu.
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August 01, 2025, 17:32 IST
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