Is it really similar? Duels would be scheduled in advanced. There would be rules to be followed. I don't think I ever read about a duel involving fisticuffs. I suppose you could be saying that a duel is the posh version of a drunken bar fight, but that's like saying that a moderated debate is the posh version of a profanity filled screaming match in a bar parking lot.

Even when dueling was considered acceptable upper-class behavior, most men never fought a duel. It was a drastic, last-resort kind of affair. And even when duels did occur, the duelists sometimes just went through the motions for honor's sake rather than shooting to kill.