The 25-year-old was recruited to the UFC bantamweight division in 2017 after making a name for himself in Europe as one of the top contenders outside of the world’s premier MMA organisation.
Duquesnoy was a two-weight world champion when competing for British based promotion, BAMMA, with an undefeated streak spanning showcase bouts across the UK and Ireland over a period of four years, picking up the featherweight and bantamweight titles along the way.
Retiring on a professional record of 16-2 (with 1 no-contest), Duquesnoy has been a vocal advocate for regulation and development of MMA in France and has given praise to the amateur MMA contenders and world champions of French regulatory body, CFMMA, who have represented the nation on the IMMAF-WMMAA competition platform around the world, despite government restrictions on the sport at home.
In April of 2019 French Minister of Sports, Roxana Mărăcineanu, stated her plans to regulate and permit MMA competition in France. Read more HERE.
Speaking to his 104,000 followers on Instagram, Duquesnoy announced his retirement and new passion for teaching:
“Dear friends,
“The MMA has been for me THE school of life with travels and encounters all over the world, and most importantly, the opportunity to discover myself as a person. Today I decide to go on a different path that attracts me a lot more and that takes me a big part of my energy. My new activities are such that I can not be fully devoted to high level training. I respect that sport too well to engage in « half-hearted » and that is why I am at a crossroads where it is essential for me to focus on what passionates me the most. It is also the result of a long introspection that was not simple since it was my childhood dream to fight in UFC, I who watched the UFC’s since the age of twelve and who did everything, these last ten years, in order this dream to materialize. This decision is good for me and comes from deep inside my heart.
“I announce my official retirement as a MMA fighter. I am already happy to feel your support in this new chapter of life dedicated as you know, to the teaching of the MMA technics but ABOVE ALL, the spiritual aspect of the martial arts and the inner quest. And that is on that path that you are all WELCOME and I invite you to follow the continuation of my journey. A continuation where we will be able to meet more than ever. I take this opportunity to THANK FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART all the people that have illuminate my path, to have made this journey so dense in understandings and human values.
“Thank you to everyone.”
By IMMAF.org lead writer: Jorden Curran
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