The main card of Saturday’s UFC Fight Night at the Apex delivered in spades, especially in regard to the two lightweight scraps that set the stage for Tatsuro Taira’s submission victory in the main event.

After Esteban Ribovics got the better of Elves Brener in a Fight of the Year candidate, Chris Duncan and Mateusz Rebecki ensured they would not be outshone by putting on a bloody war that left the UFC handing out two Fight of the Night bonuses.

Duncan ultimately had his hand raised after leaving his Polish opponent almost unrecognizable following 15 minutes of action. The Scotsman trains alongside some top names at American Top Team, and one star in particular knows a thing or two about brutal battles inside the Octagon.

Poirier retired at UFC 318 after falling short in his trilogy against Max Holloway, bringing an end to his memorable 18-year tenure in MMA. During his latter years, ‘The Diamond’ spent time on the mats with Duncan, who was a leading figure in the preparation for his final UFC win over Benoit Saint-Denis in 2024.

With the pair’s friendship, it’s not surprising that ‘The Diamond’ paid close attention when ‘The Problem’ took to the Octagon at the Apex on August 2.