UFC London’s Duquesnoy: It’ll be a ‘pleasure’ to deliver a ‘good show’ for ‘loyal’ British fans

At UFC 216 Tom Duquesnoy experienced something that has rarely happened to him in pro MMA; defeat. In October Fire Kid, in his second UFC appearance, came up short against Cody Stamann. In a back and forth fight, Stamann was able to secure enough control, and land more punches, to convince two of the three judges to declare him the winner.

The result was only Duquesnoy’s second loss, taking his overall record to 15-2 (1 NC). Duquesnoy’s first loss was to Makwan Amirkhani back in 2013 (in Duquesnoy’s fifth pro fight). After that loss to Mr. Finland, Duquesnoy went on a 10-fight win streak securing the BAMMA bantamweight and featherweight titles.

Duquesnoy told Bloody Elbow he expects this most recent loss to also spur him on in a positive direction. “It’s helped me already and it will help me keep in mind that nothing is set.”

“Everything is evolving, changing — always — and thanks to my last opponent, I will be better and I’m already better. I hope I will have a new streak because of my last fight.”

Against Stamann, Duquesnoy was taken down four times. The Frenchman was also out struck by the Michigan-based Stamann; who landed 66 ‘significant strikes’ to Duquensoy’s 33 (perUFC.com).

“Instead of trying to argue the split decision, I think I put everything on myself and try to learn from the mistakes I may have committed during the fight,” said Duquesnoy when asked his opinion on the split decision. “For me there’s just one way to progress and to learn from your mistakes. It is to say that it’s your fault.”

Duquensoy added that after owning the loss, his next step was to have a round-table discussion with his coaches; analyzing all that went wrong during the fight.

“From there you come to a new game plan, a new way to train. We are trying to get a new and better version of me.”

The former BAMMA champion said there were some bright spots in his performance at UFC 216, but because he is an “unsatisfied person” he found it hard to focus on those, instead preferring to think only of the mistakes he made and how he can correct them.

Duquesnoy’s chance to correct his past mistakes comes this weekend at the O2 Arena in London, England. On the main card of UFC Fight Night: Werdum vs. Volkov Duquesnoy faces Terrion Ware (17-7), who is coming off of back-to-back losses to Sean O’Malley and Cody Stamann.

Even though Ware is still looking for his first win in the UFC, Duquesnoy has a lot of respect for the RFA veteran’s ability.

“[Ware’s] very strong mentally and physically,” said Duquesnoy. “He has high-level boxing and good striking when he comes forwards. I think he’s going to go to war and do everything he can to put on a good show in London and it will be the same on my side.”

To prepare for Ware, Duquesnoy has stayed home in Paris working with longtime head trainer Bourama Traoré (aka TheManOfShadow). For his fight against Stamann, and his UFC debut versus Patrick Williams, Duquesnoy relocated to Albuquerque, NM to work with Greg Jackson and Mike Winkeljohn.

Duquesnoy said it made more sense for him to train in Paris with the fight happening about an hour’s flight away in London. Despite not training at JacksonWink MMA Academy, Duquesnoy has still received advice from the team there.

“We are working hand in hand,” said Duquesnoy; who revealed that his corner crew for the fight will be Traoré, boxing coach David Lemaire, and sparring partner Salahdine Parnasse (who Duquesnoy said will be a top ten featherweight in the next few years).

“The good thing in Paris is that we are in one of the more high-level striking countries in the world,” said Duquesnoy while talking up his Parisian team. “Here I have been working on my Muay Thai and my boxing. Working a lot on these things, which I didn’t have occasion to work on during the last year and that’s exactly what I’ve been doing in Paris. And at the same time keeping the good things that the USA had brought to me.”

Duquesnoy’s next opportunity to show the benefits of combining what he has learned in Paris and New Mexico comes in London, a city he is very familiar with.

With BAMMA, and other European regional shows, Duquesnoy fought in London twice. Overall, he’s competed in England eight times. And even though England and France have not always enjoyed the closest friendship, Duquesnoy loves competing there and the fans he meets when he does.

“The English, and people from the United Kingdom, they have received me really well since during even the very beginning of my career,” he said. “They’ve always been giving a lot of good attention and good support and have been very loyal to me. Even when I was fighting against English people they were always applauding me at the end of the fight. I think they have a good respect for the show and someone high-level like me. It’s a pleasure to deliver them another show and to have another occasion to reconnect, actually not even reconnect, it will be an opportunity to resume my relationship with them.”

Tom Duquesnoy vs. Terrion Ware is the second fight of the main card at UFC London. You can watch the entire card on UFC Fight Pass. The main card begins at 5pm ET.