TLDR
- Christian Leroy Duncan faces Jared Cannonier in the co-main event of UFC Fight Night 281 on July 18 in Oklahoma City
- Duncan is a heavy favorite at -360 odds, while 42-year-old Cannonier is listed at +310
- Cannonier has lost 3 of his last 4 fights, including a recent unanimous decision loss to Michael Page
- Duncan enters on a four-fight winning streak with all his UFC stoppages coming by knockout in the first or second round
- Duncan holds physical advantages including three inches in height and 1.5 inches in reach over the veteran Cannonier
Sources: sports.yahoo.com | courierpostonline.com
Christian Leroy Duncan will face Jared Cannonier in the co-main event of UFC Fight Night 281 on Saturday, July 18, at the Paycom Center in Oklahoma City. Duncan enters the middleweight bout as a heavy favorite with odds of -360, while the 42-year-old Cannonier is listed at +310.
Cannonier has struggled recently, losing three of his last four fights. His most recent loss came by unanimous decision to Michael Page on Aug. 16, 2025, at UFC 319.
The veteran fighter also suffered a fourth-round knockout loss to Nassourdine Imavov in a main event on June 8, 2024. After challenging Israel Adesanya for the title at UFC 276 in 2022, Cannonier has posted a 2-3 record over his last five fights.
Duncan Riding Four-Fight Win Streak
Duncan has won four consecutive fights since losing by unanimous decision to Gregory Rodrigues at UFC 304 nearly two years ago. The British fighter most recently defeated veteran Roman Dolidze by unanimous decision on March 21.
All four of Duncan’s UFC stoppage victories have come by knockout no later than the second round. The 30-year-old holds a 14-2 overall record and is 4-1 in his last five fights.
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Duncan holds physical advantages over Cannonier with a three-inch height edge at 6-foot-2 and a 1.5-inch reach advantage. Both fighters land nearly identical significant strikes per minute, with Duncan at 4.43 and Cannonier at 4.42.
Duncan connects on 64.03% of his significant strikes, while Cannonier hits at a 53.41% rate. Cannonier averages 0.54 takedowns per fight with 40% accuracy, compared to Duncan’s 16.67% takedown accuracy.
Betting Lines and Method of Victory
Odds makers have set the total rounds at 2.5, with the over priced at -160 and the under at +125. The fight going the distance is listed at -125 for yes and -110 for no.
Duncan by knockout, technical knockout, or disqualification is available at +200. Cannonier by the same method is listed at +625.
Duncan by decision carries odds of +125, while Cannonier by decision is priced at +540. Both fighters have extremely low submission averages, with neither registering a submission average in their UFC statistics.
The main card is scheduled to begin at 8 p.m. ET, with prelims starting at 5 p.m. ET. All fights will be available on Paramount+.
