HIS CAREER IN the Ultimate Fighting Championship is only a minute and 47 seconds old, but Joseph Duffy has certainly made an impression.
With just one UFC fight under his belt, Duffy has been catapulted into a high-profile main-card slot for tomorrow’s event in Scotland.
In the final bout of the night before the co-main event, Duffy will take on Brazilian veteran Ivan Jorge at UFC Fight Night 72 at the SSE Hydro Arena in Glasgow. Only fights involving UK veterans Michael Bisping and Ross Pearson have been placed higher on the bill.
Admittedly it’s not the most star-studded UFC card of the year, but Duffy has clearly been rewarded for his impressive start to life in the octagon.
Back in March, the Donegal lightweight went to Dallas and took less than two minutes to dispose of Jake Lindsey on the prelims at UFC 188. Since then, there’s been no shortage of hype around MMA’s newest Irish sensation.
The manner in which he dismantled his opponent helped, but the main reason behind the level of interest in Duffy is his status as the last man to defeat Conor McGregor.
The fight happened over five years ago, so it counts for little now. However, that Cage Warriors bout — which took place in Cork in November 2010 — has been extremely beneficial as Duffy has grabbed the attention of the MMA world since returning to the sport following an undefeated stint as a professional boxer last year.
When news of Jose Aldo’s injury broke recently in the build-up to UFC 189, Duffy was one of the first fighters to offer his services a replacement. However, he insists that he and McGregor are following their own paths for now.
“Conor is doing his thing and I’m doing mine,” said Duffy. “I’m certainly not chasing him but who knows what the future holds?
“But right now we’re at different stages of our careers. I’m just starting out in the UFC and Conor’s already at the top. Until we’re at the same level it’s probably a conversation that’s not worth having yet.”
Duffy is now training on a full-time basis at the Tristar Gym in Montreal, which is home to legendary former UFC welterweight champion Georges St Pierre and current contender Rory MacDonald, who lost to 170lbs title-holder Robbie Lawler last weekend in one of the greatest fights in UFC history.
Being guided by renowned coaches Firas Zahabi and Eric O’Keeffe has had a big impact, Duffy says. Basically, one of the best prospects in MMA is still getting significantly better.
“I’m a hell of a lot more relaxed since I came here,” Duffy explained. “I definitely feel like my wrestling has gone up a notch; so has my overall fitness and conditioning. But I’ve improved in all areas, to be honest.”
Tomorrow’s opponent Ivan Jorge hasn’t been given much of a chance as observers have become caught up in the hype surrounding Duffy. However, the Brazilian has had more than twice as many professional bouts as the 27-year-old Irishman, so he’ll have the upper hand in terms of experience.
Duffy said: “He’s dangerous. He’s got power, he’s got good submissions and he’s been around a long time. He’s gone the distance quite a bit too so he’s comfortable in the cage. I’m just going to go in and do my usual thing. Wherever it goes I’m feeling pretty confident.”
Following his excellent debut in March, many were expecting Duffy’s next opponent to be a bigger name. Duffy is happy to bide his time but a big fight in Dublin in October definitely sounds appealing.
“I would love to fight on that card and it doesn’t matter who the opponent is,” Duffy said. “I leave that side of things to the UFC. Hopefully I can win this next fight and then we can start looking at Dublin.”
Joseph Duffy fights Ivan Jorge tomorrow (Saturday, 18 July) on the prelims at UFC Fight Night 72 in Glasgow. The bout will begin at approximately 7.30pm on UFCFightPass.com.
Originally published at 16.21
