By Lucas Grandsire

UFC bantamweight Tom Duquesnoy heads into the promotion’s return to London on March 17 in an unfamiliar position. 

The Frenchman is coming off only his second career loss since he turned pro back in 2012—a span of 18 fights.

Duquesnoy dropped a split decision at UFC 216 to Cody Stamann, and while defeats sometimes cripple fighters, Duquesnoy is using the experience to learn more about himself and to grow as a martial artist. 

“I really do think when you lose you have things you need to manage and to switch up,” Duquesnoy told FloCombat. “I think that's exactly what happened in my last fight. I've been working on all the details that didn't work during the night of the fight [to] become a better version of myself. That's what I've been doing the last few months.”

Now looking to show off his improvements, Duquesnoy meets another fighter looking to get back in the win column, Terrion Ware. While Ware's exciting style saw him tear through the regional scene, the results haven't translated inside the Octagon, as he has gone 0-2 thus far, losing to Stamann and Sean O'Malley. 

Despite this stumble out the gates, Duquesnoy remains complimentary of his opponent's skills and of the threat Ware presents on fight night. 

“I'm glad he's someone with an unpredictable style,” Duquesnoy said. “He's a high-level boxer and a very tough opponent. He's always very well prepared. I'm sure he will bring his best so we can deliver a good show. I have big respect for him and I'm glad he accepted the fight.”

For fans, the fight is sure to deliver, as the matchup pits two strikers known for their speed and power against one another. 

“I think it will be a good fight because he has the natural tendency—so do I—to strike during the fight,” Duquesnoy said. “It will be the occasion to see the different levels. Even though we like to strike, he has a different style. So it will be interesting to see a pure striking fight, even though anything can happen in MMA [and] we are ready to use all the weapons necessary.”

Duquesnoy normally trains at the highly regarded Jackson-Wink MMA Academy in Albuquerque, New Mexico. This time around, however, he chose to change things up.

“The fight was announced while I was in Paris,” Duquesnoy said. “So I decided to do my camp in Paris this time with Bourama Traoré—'The Man of Shadow'—as usual but also with different training partners and coaches in boxing and Muay Thai. 

“I trained a lot with Salahdine Parnasse, who, for me, is the future at featherweight. So we got the chance to train together every day. He's taller and bigger than my next opponent, so it's a good thing to adapt on the physical aspect with the fight. I'm going to deliver.”

One of the biggest challenges in Duquesnoy's native France remains the fact that MMA has been illegal since 2016. Despite the ban and the relative lack of opportunities for young martial artists looking toward MMA in France, Duquesnoy believes things are headed in the right direction. 

“MMA is still banned but it's developing,” Duquesnoy said. “I feel it's more and more positive through the seminars that I do a little bit throughout Paris. I notice that MMA is getting bigger and bigger, people are getting interested in MMA. There are a lot of demands, so it's on the positive. The change in government is actually our best chance to get MMA legalized in France very soon. I can't wait." 

When the time comes and the ban is lifted, Duquesnoy looks forward to contributing to the sport's growth and development. 

“Of course I'm always ready to help through seminars, through conferences, through different meetings with people because everybody knows MMA is huge now,” Duquesnoy said. “MMA represents a huge market, but it is also a brilliant sport to educate the spirit. I think in MMA there are all the values you can find in martial arts. So that's why it's important that MMA is legalized.”

For now, the ban hasn’t stopped Duquesnoy or any of the other French mixed martial artists from training or competing, but it has stopped them from fighting in front of a home crowd. 

That, to Duquesnoy, will be the greatest reward when the time comes. 

“We have to recognize that even though MMA is banned, we have one of the highest levels in the world,” Duquesnoy said. “You can see French fighters in the UFC, in all the biggest organizations in the world. So we are a land of martial arts. You can see the wrestling, the taekwondo, the judo Olympic team, we have a very high level. We are a basically a land of martial arts and fight sports. 

"So it doesn't affect me that much, but I would love to fight in Paris. It would be a sold-out arena and it would be my pleasure to fight in front of my audience.”