In combat sports, athletes work immensely hard to build their physical strength. However, to reach the top, fighters also need to take care of their mental health, which is often easier said than done. For instance, UFC’s 145 lbs champion Alexander Volkanovski has openly discussed his mental struggles and vulnerable moments following his losses to Islam Makhachev and Ilia Topuria. Adding to that discussion, UFC veteran Chris Duncan has also shared valuable insights.

 The 32-year-old Scotsman has been an active professional fighter for close to a decade, compiling an impressive 14–2 record along the way. So, when it comes to balancing the mental and physical sides of fighting, Duncan stands among the most experienced voices. In an exclusive interview with EssentiallySports, ‘The Problem’ opened up about the importance of mental resilience.

Chris Duncan opens up about mental strength in MMA

“You know, obviously, I was explaining the… say, your mental health. I hate saying mental health… because a lot of the media talks about it right now. But maybe like, your mental capacity is 90% of what you are. All these cuts I have, you see… was superficial, they heal on their own. But sometimes, people would heal on their own, and they end up going in the battle with mental health, and that’s what I was trying to get across,” Duncan explained.

The Scottish lightweight definitely makes a solid point here. Maintaining mental resilience inside the cage becomes almost as important as maintaining fighting prowess. And Duncan has proved that, earning five wins and only one loss in his two-year UFC journey. But that’s not all. In his last fight against Mateusz Rębecki at UFC Fight Night: Taira vs. Park, ‘The Problem’ earned the Fight of the Night bonus after going through an absolute barnburner. He also shared some insights into his evolution as a fighter.

He added, “I’m always learning. Even being in the room with businessmen, you learn a whole lot about you know. I think if you put your flag in one area at any given time, and that’s where it wasn’t supposed to be, you’re in the wrong game. It’s such an evolving sport that if you see your first… and you’re not new to the game… that’s when you’re f–ed.”    

Well, Duncan definitely shared some words of wisdom here. And with a three-fight winning streak in the UFC, the road ahead looks bright for the Scottish powerhouse. It seems he’s already thinking about going global. And the rising 155er even has his eyes set on a UFC legend for his next fight.

‘The Problem’ eyes Japan fight against Donald Cerrone

In the UFC, fighters squaring up against their idols isn’t all that uncommon. We’ve seen it before, like when Israel Adesanya faced his idol Anderson Silva at UFC 234. So just like ‘the Last Stylebender’, Chris Duncan dreams of fighting his idol, Donald Cerrone, who has already expressed interest in ending his retirement for a couple more fights in Dana White’s promotion.

Continuing his interview with EssentiallySports, Chris Duncan said, “I always wanted to fight Donald Cerrone because he was like my idol. He was my favorite fighter. And they always say you can make an idol, but they never said you shouldn’t fight them.” However, it seems that fighting Cerrone isn’t the only dream the Scottish fighter has. Duncan also wants to go global with his fights. Especially in Japan, where PRIDE once thrilled audiences with its violent and passionate MMA events.

He further added, “One thing I like about fighting is that you get to travel the world. I’d love to fight in Asia—mainly Japan. Japan is one of the countries that fascinates me. I’ve never been there. I eat the food a lot, but I don’t know… I just see myself fighting there.” Just like Duncan, former UFC fighter Tony Ferguson also talked about fighting globally, which he eventually did with Misfits. Still, it has to be said that ‘The Problem’ definitely has some amazing thoughts and ambitions when it comes to MMA.

That said, do you think Chris Duncan could become the next big thing in the lightweight division? Let us know in the comments section below.