A FORMER Wee County shephard says he will ‘blitz’ an upcoming mixed martial arts fight which could see him land a life-changing contract.

Chris Duncan is currently in Las Vegas preparing to fight fellow lightweight Manuel Gaxhja as part of Dana White’s Contender Series, which over recent years has seen the most impressive fighters handed UFC contracts.

The Tullibody man boasts an impressive 7-0 record and, despite the stakes of the fight, he’s already looking forward to reaping the rewards.

He said: “My approach to this fight is no different to usual.

"Obviously the banner of UFC is a big deal and everyone knows what it is so I’m preparing myself mentally to be under the spotlight.

“But I’m trying to take away everything that goes on around UFC and just concentrate on the fight itself.

“I’m going to blitz this fight and then afterwards, bask in all the benefits that go with it rather than get caught up with it all beforehand.”

The 28-year-old, resilient and driven, says events in his own life have made him a better person and have accelerated his progress faster than others.

When Duncan was 21, his mother – his greatest fan and biggest cheerleader – was murdered and this caused him to focus on exactly what he wanted to achieve and he is now in no doubt he’ll soon be the owner of a UFC contract.

He continued: “Struggles and hard times definitely make a better person.

“Because I’ve come from a tougher background, I feel like I’ve got that little bit more grit and determination that pushes me further on and has accelerated my progress more than some other guys.

“And the past year and a half, because of Covid, has been a tough time for every single person on the planet but actually, I coped okay because it wasn’t the hardest thing I’ve ever gone through.

“Right now, I’m in the best shape of my life mentally, physically and emotionally and I’ve got this opportunity to prove what I’m made of.

“I know what’s going to happen, I’m going to get this contract and things are going to really flip for me.”

Were it not for the consequences of the Covid-19 pandemic, Duncan may also have been proposing to Laura, his girlfriend, while in Vegas.

However, she’ll have to watch from home in Scotland with Summer, the couple's daughter.

On being a father, Duncan said: “It hasn’t changed my perspective on fighting but the biggest thing for me is that when she gets to two, three years old and really knows what’s going on, I want her to think I’m a super-hero.

“I want to be her role model and I want to provide her with everything I possibly can.

“Maybe I am away for two months at a time but it’ll be worth it because I’ll be able to take her to Disney World and places like that.

“It’s so hard being away from her but the sacrifices have to come somewhere to get the pay-off in the end.”

Duncan is set to fight Gaxhja next Tuesday, September 28.