Seven years of hard work culminates with Duncan’s pro fight debut

Ahead of their second meeting though, the 24-year-old revealed he hadn’t delved too deep into the way Ives was preparing, instead leaning into his own ability to make the right reads and react accordingly.

Stepping into a gym several years ago as a way to build his self-confidence, Duncan hasn’t looked back and is now on the precipice of his first pro fight at Melbourne Pavilion.

A gruelling eight-week camp was “physically and mentally draining“ for Duncan, who said there were days he struggled to get out of bed, his body physically broken.

But it was the end goal of stepping up into the professional world of fighting that kept him going, and Duncan said “it would all be worth it in the end”.

He admitted he had never done anything in the realm of this before; a high school stage show perhaps the closest comparison.

In both cases he’s performing for a crowd, though the work behind learning lines pales in comparison to the demands of a professional fight.

Duncan has seven amateur fights under his belt, beginning in 2017, with his record standing at 2-4-1; one of those wins was by technical knock out. His most recent fight was in February 2020.

With the technical aspect of Muay Thai more heavily scrutinised in the pros, Duncan is confident he will thrive under stricter parameters.

“Amateur is more throwing hay makers without a care in the world, whereas this is more technical, which is where my strengths lie,” Duncan said.

He’s been able to watch on as a training mate Jack Matthews made his own professional debut earlier this year, with the pair and Matthews’ younger brother Daniel training each week under the watchful eye of Muay Thai legend Kiw Eikkasit.

“It’s been extremely helpful to have people there who have more experience,” Duncan said.

“They can let you know what they went through. And having Kiw there as a trainer has been absolutely amazing.”

Speaking to the Riv on Monday, Duncan still needed to shed 2kg ahead of Friday’s weigh-in, with a slimmed down 75kg the goal.

Training earlier in the week, he then wound down the load to give his body a short freshen up before the big event.

Along with making the right reads on Ives, Duncan said he would look to capitalise with his biggest weapon: his kicking.

“I’ve got some of the hardest kicks in the gym, so I’m going to lean towards that,” Duncan said.

“And my left hooks are pretty solid.”

Out-fighting Ives across the three rounds will be Duncan’s biggest challenge on the day, although he also needs to overcome an entirely different beast as well: nerves.

“In the lead-up (to fights), I have had nerves," he said. ”But this is much more nerve-wracking (than amateurs).

“I’ll take a minute beforehand to calm myself but I’m going to have to hold back the nerves so it doesn’t tire me out.”

Saturday’s card, presented by Rebellion Muay Thai, will be the first of its kind in front of a live crowd since COVID-19 restrictions began last year, with Duncan excited by the prospect of a live atmosphere.

“It’s the first live event back, so all of Melbourne’s fight community are going to want to come along,” he said. “It’s been two years since we’ve been able to do anything.”

Asked what a win in his first professional fight would mean to him, Duncan said it would prove a massive confidence booster.

“I’ve had people telling me for ages that they reckon I’m a good fighter,” he said.

“So, it would be a massive achievement to take it out in my first pro fight.

“But at the end of the night, I’ll be here kicking, win or lose, I’ll fight my best.”

For more information on the event, Roots 16: Survival or to find a live-stream link, head to https://rebellionmuaythai.com.au/

The first fight begins at 1pm.