Issue 144
August 2016
Goodness gracious, Tom Duquesnoy has dynamite in his right arm
Fighters Only has had its eye on Jackson-Wink MMA’s ‘Fire Kid’ for some time. Tom Duquesnoy made it onto the Class of 2014 list of talented up-and-coming prospects as an 8-1 one-to-watch, but since then he’s become a guaranteed future superstar. His elbow KO at UK promotion BAMMA’s Champion vs. Champion event was his most sensational stoppage yet, and snagged him a championship belt in a second weight class. It was also guaranteed to get matchmakers from the leading promotions around the world reaching for their phones.
The 23-year-old doesn’t just draw comparisons to Jon Jones because he’s his teammate. He shares the ability to adapt on the fly and attack with creativity, which has led to him capturing titles at 135lb and 145lb. He’s destined to make a major international impact in 2017.
Bantamweight champion Shay Walsh was arguably his biggest test to date, and the Frenchman’s corner expected a war of attrition in the clinch. But they quickly had to change things up.
“A fight is never the same as the theory. He came for war. He put constant pressure on me and from there we kind of had a problem with the distance,” Duquesnoy says. “Either I was going too much on him or he was going too much on me. (It) was kind of a clinch fight again. But I have a good clinch.”
The fighting got up-close and personal, and Duquesnoy started hammering his opponent’s body with punches. His go-to techniques landed with pace and power and were all he needed to create an opening to land that decisive strike.
“I threw that combination because I love that combination,” he added. “Then he came to me in the clinch and from there I just got him with the elbow.”
Set up
“I started with the left on the liver. He was kind of bent on his side and there was a home for my right elbow and I just got it.”
Body blows
“I really love the liver shot. I just throw it a lot. During training we worked on that move with Mike Winkeljohn. He insists on the efficiency of the strike – the transfer of power that can allow you to put the opponent out.”
One-shot drop
“You’re like, ‘Where is he?’ And he’s on the ground. It’s kind of crazy because when you work on the muscle memory you don’t realize how powerful you are.”
Man on fire
Duquesnoy is 9-0 (1NC) since his last defeat in February 2013.
