Episode 192: In this episode of the Sports Performance Leadership Podcast, hosted by Pete McKnight, we speak with Duncan N. French, PhD, CSCS*D, RSCC*E, FUKSCA — Senior Vice President of the UFC Performance Institute and one of the most respected leaders in global high-performance sport.
Since joining the UFC in 2017, Duncan has overseen the delivery of high-performance services to over 700 world-class MMA fighters worldwide, managing a multidisciplinary team of 68 professionals across three state-of-the-art UFC Performance Institutes in Las Vegas, Shanghai, and Mexico City. With over 25 years of experience in elite professional sport, Duncan’s career spans coaching Olympic medalists, World Champions, world-record holders, and NCAA National Champions.
His leadership journey has taken him from national lead roles in the British Olympic system and the English Premier League, to directing performance sciences at the University of Notre Dame, and now shaping the global performance strategy of the UFC. Alongside his practical leadership, Duncan is a prolific contributor to the field — with over 60 scientific manuscripts, 9 book chapters, and as lead editor of the NSCA’s Essentials of Sport Science textbook. In 2014, he was awarded an Honorary Fellowship by the UKSCA for his outstanding service to the strength and conditioning profession.
Topics Discussed:
Career Path — From British Olympic teams and Premier League football to NCAA and the UFC
Leadership Evolution — Transitioning from technical expert to organisational leader
Core Skills — Communication, influence, situational awareness, and emotional intelligence
Building High-Performance Systems — Designing infrastructure and protocols from the ground up
Leadership Models — Holacracy, situational leadership, and empowering teams
Team Culture — Managing egos, fostering psychological safety, and leading with authenticity
Personal Development — Staying technically sharp while reflecting on leadership behaviour
Wellbeing — Strategies for sustaining energy, including surfing, meditation, and cold exposure
Future Trends — The growing role of AI and technology alongside the enduring need for human connection
This episode offers rare insight into building world-class performance environments, sustaining leadership impact at scale, and balancing technical expertise with human-first leadership in elite sport.
Where you can find Duncan:
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Sponsors
VALD Performance, makers of the Nordbord, Forceframe, ForeDecks and HumanTrak. VALD Performance systems are built with the high-performance practitioner in mind, translating traditionally lab-based technologies into engaging, quick, easy-to-use tools for daily testing, monitoring and training
Hytro: The world’s leading Blood Flow Restriction (BFR) wearable, designed to accelerate recovery and maximise athletic potential using Hytro BFR for Professional Sport.
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