Duncan’s Striking Carried Him Past Dolidze’s Grappling
Christian Leroy Duncan defeated Roman Dolidze by unanimous decision on March 21, 2026, at The O2 in London. All three judges returned 29–28 after a middleweight contest that tested Duncan’s striking against the Georgian veteran’s submission attacks and control.
The matchup and early action
Duncan entered on a three-fight winning streak after building his earlier professional career in Cage Warriors. Dolidze sought to recover from a loss to Anthony Hernandez that had ended his own run of three victories.
Dolidze attacked the legs and created early grappling exchanges, forcing Duncan to defend while repeatedly working back to his feet. Spinning elbows also gave the veteran meaningful moments during the opening round.
The decisive developments
Duncan increasingly found his range in the second. A flying knee to the body, side kicks and jabs disrupted Dolidze, while combinations after breaking clinches kept the English fighter’s offense moving.
Dolidze obtained his strongest position in the third, taking the back and securing a body triangle. He maintained control and landed short punches through much of the closing portion without finding a submission.
What the result meant
The judges preferred Duncan by two rounds to one, rewarding his more successful work before that late grappling spell. The victory improved his professional record to 14–2 and extended his UFC winning streak to four.
For Duncan, defeating an established ranked opponent represented a significant progression. The result also showed the importance of surviving difficult positions and accumulating effective offense across rounds rather than relying on a late finish.
Sources
- UFC: official results and scorecards
- Cageside Press: weights and matchup context
- Cageside Press: fight report
