Middleweight prospect defeats former title challenger at UFC Oklahoma City.

Duncan celebrates his UFC victory. Photo: Reproduction/Instagram/UFC

PUBLICITY:

In the co-main event of UFC Oklahoma , held on Saturday night (18), Christian Leroy Duncan achieved the biggest victory of his career by defeating former middleweight title challenger (up to 83,9 kg) Jared Cannonier by unanimous decision of the judges. With the triumph over a member of the top 10 of the category, the Briton gains strength in the division.

British fighter defeats former title challenger.

Duncan started by constantly switching stances to avoid becoming a predictable target. The American closed the distance, sought the clinch, and tried to control his opponent against the cage, but encountered good defense. Subsequently, the Briton secured the first takedown of the fight. After the veteran's quick recovery, he resumed dictating the pace in the striking exchanges, until the former title challenger managed his first takedown in the final moments of the round.

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The dynamic remained the same in the second round. The Englishman continued to vary his stance and rely on movement, while the veteran insisted on pressuring his opponent against the cage to wear him down. Cannonier landed the most significant blows of the round and secured a takedown with just over a minute remaining. Even so, Duncan showed quality on the ground, reversed the position, and finished the round ahead.

In the third round, the Briton tried to follow his corner's advice and avoid his opponent's approach. The former title challenger, however, managed to close the distance, pressed against the cage, and resumed his takedown attempts. In the final minutes, Duncan tried to increase the pace in search of victory, but his physical exhaustion became evident after resisting the American's constant attacks. At the end of the 15 minutes, all three judges awarded the victory to Christian Leroy Duncan by unanimous decision.

PUBLICITY:

Chase Hooper secures a lightning-fast victory in the first round.

BACK TO WINNING WAYS 🤩 @Chase_Hooper left his mark at #UFCOKC with a fast RD1 submission win!

[LIVE NOW on @ParamountPlus ] pic.twitter.com/VNhgFgCPnK

— UFC (@ufc) July 19, 2026

In a duel valid for the lightweight division (up to 70,3 kg), Chase Hooper, who did not make weight at the official weigh-in last Friday (17), defeated Mitch Raposo by submission in the first round. With the victory, the American reached his ninth win in 14 UFC appearances and recovered after two consecutive losses.

Hooper wasted no time imposing his game. In the very first minute, he closed the distance, took Raposo down, and quickly secured his opponent's back. With complete control on the ground, he locked in a rear-naked choke, giving his rival no chance to defend, forcing him to tap out and ending the fight in the first round. Despite the convincing result, the victory does not count towards the category ranking due to the winner failing to meet the weight limit.

Results from UFC Oklahoma City

MAIN CARD

Middleweight (up to 83,9 kg): Dricus Du Plessis defeated Kamaru Usman by unanimous decision (50-45, 49-46, 49-46)

Middleweight (up to 83,9 kg): Christian Leroy Duncan defeated Jared Cannonier by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28).

Lightweight (up to 70,3 kg): Chase Hooper defeated Mitch Ramirez by submission (rear-naked choke) at 2:15 of round 1.

Strawweight (up to 52,1 kg): Fatima Kline defeated Tabatha Ricci by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)

Featherweight (up to 65,7 kg): Tommy McMillen defeated Alberto Montes by technical knockout (punches) at 3:29 of round 3.

PRELIMINARY CARD 

Featherweight (up to 65,7 kg): Jose Miguel Delgado defeated Austin Bashi by unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)

Welterweight (up to 77,1 kg): Jean-Paul Lebosnoyani defeated Seok Hyeon Ko by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

Light heavyweight (up to 92,9 kg): Felipe Negão defeated Levi Rodrigues Jr. by technical knockout (punches) at 1:40 of round 2.

Featherweight (up to 65,7 kg): Ezra Elliott defeated Damien Anderson by unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)

Flyweight (up to 56,7 kg): Alden Coria defeated Stewart Nicoll by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)

Heavyweight (up to 120,2 kg): RJ Harris defeated Alvin Hines by technical knockout (punches) at 1:40 of round 1.

Flyweight (up to 56,7 kg): Dione Barbosa defeated Anna Melisano by submission (rear-naked choke) at 4:04 of round 1.

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