Gregory Rodrigues and the Process-Driven Mindset

Gregory Rodrigues understands the process.

Firmly entrenched as a proven commodity in the Ultimate Fighting Championship middleweight division, the former Legacy Fighting Alliance titleholder will toe the line against Christian Leroy Duncan in a featured UFC 304 attraction this Saturday at Co-op Live in Manchester, England. Rodrigues owns a 6-2 record across his eight appearances inside the Octagon, his losses to Armen Petrosyan and Brunno Ferreira more than offset by victories over Dusko Todorovic, Jun Yong Park, Julian Marquez, Chidi Njokuani, Denis Tiuliulin and Brad Tavares.

“What I’ve learned is that difficulties aren’t there to stop you,” he told Sherdog.com. “They highlight where I should be better, so I can improve and be ready for whatever comes next. Both the bad and the good made me the athlete I am today and how much I’ve achieved. My goal going into the UFC was to have a solid career. I didn’t want to rise too fast, eventually implode and be unable to return.

“I’m in a great phase,” Rodrigues added. “My two losses [in the UFC] taught me a lot. They molded me. Without a doubt, I’m a completely different athlete today. I thank God for my difficulties, as they made me recognize where I need to improve. I never see them as a negative. They make me better with every passing day.”

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Duncan poses a serious threat to the Brazilian on paper. The former Cage Warriors Fighting Championship titleholder has won three of his four fights since he joined the UFC roster in 2023, a decision defeat to the aforementioned Petrosyan his only misstep. Duncan, 29, last competed at UFC Fight Night 238, where he put away Claudio Ribeiro with a volley of elbows and punches in the second round of their March 2 encounter.

“I see him as yet another opponent,” Rodrigues said. “It’s an important fight, as they all are. I don’t see anything special in him. I’ll steamroll him. Of course, I respect everyone, but in MMA [and] in the UFC, there are levels. He’s not there yet.”

Rodrigues operates out of the star-studded Kill Cliff Fight Club camp fronted by Henri Hooft and Greg Jones in Deerfield Beach, Florida. He enlisted the help of a number of stablemates ahead of his showdown with Duncan, from Gilbert Burns, Ange Loosa and Mohammed Usman to Glory kickboxing champion Artem Vakhitov.

“I have the best team in the world, [and] I have the best coaches,” Rodrigues said. “Our energy has been great in a family atmosphere. I can hardly wait for fight night.”

The 32-year-old Rodrigues boasts 13 finishes—10 of them by knockout—among his 15 professional victories and continues to reach for the sky in a middleweight division currently ruled by South African champion Dricus Du Plessis.

“My mind is always on the title,” he said. “I know I’ll be the UFC middleweight champion. After this fight, I’ll want either a title shot or someone who puts me in position for a title fight. I’ll beat whoever I have to [in order] to reach my objective.”