Joseph Duffy (fighter)
Joseph Duffy (born 18 February 1988) is an Irish retired mixed martial artist who competed in the lightweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). A professional since 2008, he has formerly competed for Cage Warriors and was a contestant on The Ultimate Fighter: Team GSP vs. Team Koscheck. He is also a former professional boxer. He holds a notable victory over the former UFC lightweight and featherweight double-champion, Conor McGregor.
| Joseph Duffy Seosamh Ó Dubhthaigh | |
|---|---|
| Born | 18 February 1988 County Donegal, Ireland |
| Other names | Irish Joe[1] |
| Height | 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)[2] |
| Weight | 155 lb (70 kg; 11 st 1 lb) |
| Division | Lightweight Welterweight |
| Reach | 73 in (185 cm)[2] |
| Style | Boxing, Kickboxing, Ju-Jitsu, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu |
| Stance | Orthodox |
| Fighting out of | Donegal, Ireland |
| Team | Tristar Gym |
| Rank | Black belt in Taekwondo[3] under Heath Gait Black belt in Ju-Jitsu[3] under Heath Gait Purple belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu under Firas Zahabi[4] |
| Years active | 2008–2021 |
| Professional boxing record | |
| Total | 10 |
| Wins | 10 |
| By knockout | 2 |
| Losses | 0 |
| Kickboxing record | |
| Total | 7 |
| Wins | 7 |
| Losses | 0 |
| Mixed martial arts record | |
| Total | 21 |
| Wins | 16 |
| By knockout | 4 |
| By submission | 10 |
| By decision | 2 |
| Losses | 5 |
| By knockout | 1 |
| By submission | 2 |
| By decision | 2 |
| Amateur record | |
| Total | 2 |
| Wins | 2 |
| By submission | 2 |
| Other information | |
| Boxing record from BoxRec | |
| Mixed martial arts record from Sherdog | |
Early life
Duffy is from Meenbanad, Burtonport, County Donegal. His family emigrated when he was young to the industrial town of Ebbw Vale in Wales, from where they travelled back and forth to Burtonport regularly.[5]
Duffy is an avid rugby fan, and growing up he says "I would always have made it known I wasn’t from Wales", which made his support for Ireland during the Six Nations a bit difficult sometimes. He claimed "if Ireland lost in the rugby, I would try to skip the next day at school, just to avoid the hassle it would bring". Duffy also played the sport through his youth, and despite captaining his school’s rugby team, it was martial arts that always occupied the majority of Duffy’s time. He started with taekwon-do before progressing to traditional jiu-jitsu, a foundation that eventually led him to a career in professional MMA.[6]
Boxing career
Despite knowing from an early age that he wanted to be a MMA fighter, Duffy said "I always wondered how I would get on in boxing". He continued "it was never something I thought about pursuing. I had never boxed, even at amateur, until a few years ago". Duffy cited "the opportunity to work with one of the best coaches in the boxing world" as the main reason for his switch, and the chance "to spar with some of the best fighters in the world; James DeGale, Andy Lee, George Groves, Chris Eubank, Jr.", something he deemed "priceless". The decision was then made even easier, with Duffy explaining "I was fortunate enough to have sponsors to back me as well. That took care of the financial worries".
When reflecting on the experience, he stated "More than anything, I’m a person who doesn’t want to have any regrets. When I’m old I want to be able to say that I gave it a go. That’s what it was. I got to fight professionally and I got to spar with some of the best fighters in the world".[7]
Mixed martial arts career
Duffy started his career as a welterweight, fighting in various regional promotions across the UK. Duffy defeated the former UFC two-weight champion, Conor McGregor, and Northern Irishman Norman Parke, who later went on to the join the UFC.[8] It was after this fight that Duffy signed with Cage Warriors, the biggest MMA promotion in Europe.
The Ultimate Fighter
In February 2010, Duffy was announced as a cast member of The Ultimate Fighter 12 where he competed as a lightweight.[9] In his first fight, Duffy lost to Kyle Watson via rear-naked choke in the first round, and was subsequently eliminated from the show.[10]
Cage Warriors Fighting Championship
Duffy made his name and rose to prominence while fighting under the CWFC banner. In his first bout with the promotion, Duffy submitted Conor McGregor, another Irish fighter who went on to UFC stardom.[11]
In 2011, Duffy earned a Cage Warriors title shot against Ivan Musardo. Duffy lost the fight, breaking his hand in the third round, and being subsequently submitted in the fourth.[12]
Following his recovery, Duffy switched his attention to pro boxing. He amassed a 7–0 record before returning to Cage Warriors in 2014. Duffy's first fight back was against Frenchman, Damien Lapilus. Duffy won via rear-naked choke, 2 minutes and 18 seconds into the third round.[13]
Three months later he defeated another Frenchman, Julien Boussuge. This time detecting his opponent's intention for a takedown, and connecting a clean knee to the head when Boussuge changed levels. It was an instant knockout.[14]
Ultimate Fighting Championship
In January 2015, the UFC announced they had signed Duffy.[15]
Duffy was expected to make his promotional debut against Vagner Rocha on 14 March 2015 at UFC 185.[16] However, Rocha pulled out of the bout in early February citing injury and was replaced by Jake Lindsey.[17] Duffy won the fight via TKO in the first round after wobbling his opponent with a head kick and then dropping Lindsey with a body shot, forcing the stoppage.[18]
Duffy faced Ivan Jorge on 18 July 2015 at UFC Fight Night 72.[19] He won the fight via submission in the first round.[20] He also earned a Performance of the Night bonus.[21]
Duffy was expected to face Dustin Poirier on 24 October 2015 at UFC Fight Night 76.[22] However, Duffy pulled out of the fight on 21 October citing a concussion he incurred during a sparring session.[23] In turn, the pairing was rescheduled, and took place on 2 January 2016 at UFC 195.[24] Duffy lost the fight by unanimous decision (30–26, 30–27, 30–27).[25]
Duffy next faced Mitch Clarke on 7 July 2016 at UFC Fight Night 90.[26] He won the fight via submission in the opening minute of the first round.[27]
Duffy faced Reza Madadi on 18 March 2017 at UFC Fight Night 107.[28] He won the fight by unanimous decision.[29]
On 13 July 2017, Duffy's manager Graham Boylan revealed Duffy had signed a new seven-fight contract with UFC.[30]
Duffy faced James Vick on 4 November 2017 at UFC 217.[31] He lost the fight via TKO in the second round.[32]
Duffy was expected to face Ross Pearson on 2 December 2018 at UFC Fight Night 142.[33] However, Pearson announced on 7 November that he was out of the bout due to a broken nose and subsequent surgery to correct the injury.[34] and he was replaced by newcomer M-1 Global Lightweight Champion Damir Ismagulov.[35] In turn Duffy pulled out from the event, citing a rib injury.[36]
Duffy faced Marc Diakiese on 16 March 2019 at UFC Fight Night 147.[37] He lost the fight by unanimous decision.[38]
Duffy faced Joel Álvarez on 19 July 2020 at UFC Fight Night 172.[39] He lost the fight via a guillotine choke in round one.[40] After the fight, Duffy announced his retirement from MMA competition.[41]
Championships and accomplishments
- Ultimate Fighting Championship
- Performance of the Night (One time) vs. Ivan Jorge
- MMA Junkie
- Submission of the Month - July 2015 vs. Ivan Jorge[42]
Mixed martial arts record
| 21 matches | 16 wins | 5 losses |
| By knockout | 4 | 1 |
| By submission | 10 | 2 |
| By decision | 2 | 2 |
| Res. | Record | Opponent | Method | Event | Date | Round | Time | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Loss | 16–5 | Joel Álvarez | Submission (guillotine choke) | UFC Fight Night: Figueiredo vs. Benavidez 2 | 19 July 2020 | 1 | 2:25 | Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates | |
| Loss | 16–4 | Marc Diakiese | Decision (unanimous) | UFC Fight Night: Till vs. Masvidal | 16 March 2019 | 3 | 5:00 | London, England | |
| Loss | 16–3 | James Vick | TKO (punches) | UFC 217 | 4 November 2017 | 2 | 4:59 | New York City, New York, United States | |
| Win | 16–2 | Reza Madadi | Decision (unanimous) | UFC Fight Night: Manuwa vs. Anderson | 18 March 2017 | 3 | 5:00 | London, England | |
| Win | 15–2 | Mitch Clarke | Submission (rear-naked choke) | UFC Fight Night: dos Anjos vs. Alvarez | 7 July 2016 | 1 | 0:25 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | |
| Loss | 14–2 | Dustin Poirier | Decision (unanimous) | UFC 195 | 2 January 2016 | 3 | 5:00 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | |
| Win | 14–1 | Ivan Jorge | Submission (triangle choke) | UFC Fight Night: Bisping vs. Leites | 18 July 2015 | 1 | 3:05 | Glasgow, Scotland | Performance of the Night. |
| Win | 13–1 | Jake Lindsey | TKO (head kick and body punch) | UFC 185 | 14 March 2015 | 1 | 1:47 | Dallas, Texas, United States | |
| Win | 12–1 | Julien Boussuge | KO (knee) | CWFC 74 | 15 November 2014 | 1 | 0:36 | London, England | |
| Win | 11–1 | Damien Lapilus | Submission (rear-naked choke) | CWFC 70 | 16 August 2014 | 3 | 2:18 | Dublin, Ireland | |
| Loss | 10–1 | Ivan Musardo | Submission (guillotine choke) | Cage Warriors 44 | 1 October 2011 | 4 | 4:25 | Kentish Town, England | For the vacant CWFC Lightweight Championship. |
| Win | 10–0 | Francis Heagney | Decision (unanimous) | Cage Warriors 43 | 9 July 2011 | 3 | 5:00 | Kentish Town, England | |
| Win | 9–0 | Oriol Gaset | TKO (punches) | Cage Warriors 42 | 28 May 2011 | 1 | 2:46 | Cork City, Ireland | |
| Win | 8–0 | Tom Maguire | Submission (triangle choke) | Cage Warriors 40 | 26 February 2011 | 1 | 4:47 | Kentish Town, England | |
| Win | 7–0 | Conor McGregor | Submission (arm-triangle choke) | Cage Warriors 39 | 27 November 2010 | 1 | 0:38 | Cork City, Ireland | |
| Win | 6–0 | Norman Parke | Submission (rear-naked choke) | Spartan Fight Challenge 3 | 20 March 2010 | 1 | 3:06 | Newport, Wales | Lightweight debut. |
| Win | 5–0 | Sebastien Grandin | Submission (triangle choke) | KnuckleUp MMA 3 | 1 November 2009 | 1 | 1:36 | Newport, Wales | |
| Win | 4–0 | Marius Buzinskas | Submission (rear-naked choke) | Spartan Fight Challenge 1 | 11 July 2009 | 1 | N/A | Somerset, England | |
| Win | 3–0 | James Bryan | Submission (rear-naked choke) | KnuckleUp MMA 1 | 29 May 2009 | 1 | 1:55 | Somerset, England | |
| Win | 2–0 | Ciaran Fry | Submission (triangle choke) | Angrrr Management 18: Holly Brawl | 13 December 2008 | 1 | 1:24 | Weston-super-Mare, England | |
| Win | 1–0 | Mick Broster | TKO (doctor stoppage) | Angrrr Management 15: The Octagon Club | 29 March 2008 | 1 | 2:33 | Kidderminster, England |
Mixed martial arts exhibition and amateur record
| 3 matches | 2 wins | 1 loss |
| By submission | 2 | 1 |
| Res. | Record | Opponent | Method | Event | Date | Round | Time | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Loss | 2–1 | Kyle Watson | Submission (rear-naked choke) | The Ultimate Fighter: Team GSP vs. Team Koscheck | 15 September 2010 (air date) | 1 | 3:33 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | TUF 12 preliminary round. |
| Win | 2–0 | Adam Stanton | Submission (triangle choke) | Angrrr Management 9: Southern Agrrression 4 | 2 July 2006 | 1 | 1:34 | Weston Super Mare, England | |
| Win | 1–0 | Tim Newman | Submission (triangle choke) | Grapple & Strike 9 | 21 May 2005 | 1 | 2:05 | Ebbw Vale, Wales |
Professional boxing record
| 7 fights | 7 wins | 0 losses |
|---|---|---|
| By knockout | 2 | 0 |
| By decision | 5 | 0 |
| No. | Result | Record | Opponent | Method | Round, time | Date | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7 | Win | 7–0 |  Attila Tibor Nagy |
PTS | 6 | 2013-11-22 |  Camden Centre, Kings Cross, London, England |
|
| 6 | Win | 6–0 |  Ionut Trandafir Ilie |
PTS | 6 | 2013-09-07 |  Bärengarten, Ravensburg, Baden-Württemberg, Germany |
|
| 5 | Win | 5–0 | Jay Morris |
PTS | 6 | 2013-07-27 | York Hall, Bethnal Green, London, England |
|
| 4 | Win | 4–0 | James Conroy |
TKO | 3 (4) | 2013-05-11 | Camden Centre, Kings Cross, London, England |
|
| 3 | Win | 3–0 | Gilson De Jesus |
PTS | 4 | 2013-03-23 | Camden Centre, Kings Cross, London, England |
|
| 2 | Win | 2–0 | Paul Morby |
TKO | 2 (4) | 2013-03-08 | Coronet Theatre, Elephant & Castle, London, England |
|
| 1 | Win | 1–0 | Angelo Crowe |
PTS | 4 | 2013-03-02 | Oceana, Swansea, Wales |
See also
References
- Sherdog.com. "Joseph". Sherdog.
- "Fight Card - UFC Fight Night Bisping vs. Leites". UFC.com. Retrieved 19 July 2015.
- "Joseph Duffy - Official UFC Fighter Profile". UFC.com. Retrieved 15 March 2014.
- Darragh Murphy. "PIC: Joseph Duffy promoted to purple belt in BJJ by legendary coach Firas Zahabi". SportsJOE.ie. Retrieved 2 January 2016.
- Staff (3 September 2015). "People Like You: Joseph Duffy makes his return to MMA". DonegalNews. Retrieved 5 August 2014.
- Staff (3 September 2015). "'I want to be remembered as a UFC champion, not the guy who beat Conor McGregor'". the42.ie. Retrieved 8 March 2015.
- O'Brien, Brendan (2 August 2015). "Joseph Duffy: 'I have been fighting all my life.'". Irish Examiner. Retrieved 8 February 2019.
- Fight III
- Staff (3 August 2010). "Meet the cast for "The Ultimate Fighter 12," field includes 28 lightweights". mmajunkie.com. Retrieved 3 August 2010.
- Staff (16 September 2010). "Episode No. 1 recap: "The Ultimate Fighter 12: Team GSP vs. Team Koscheck"". mmajunkie.com. Retrieved 16 September 2010.
- Fergus Ryan (1 December 2010). "Cage Warriors 39 'The Uprising' review". joe.ie. Retrieved 1 December 2010.
- Staff (1 October 2011). "Cage Warriors 44 recap: Ivan Musardo wins vacant title". mmajunkie.com. Retrieved 1 October 2011.
- Dann Stupp (16 August 2014). "Cage Warriors 70 results: Joseph Duffy taps Damien Lapilus in final round". mmajunkie.com. Retrieved 16 August 2014.
- Staff (15 November 2014). "Cage Warriors 74 results: Nicolas Dalby, Pannie Kianzad claim title victories". mmajunkie.com. Retrieved 15 November 2014.
- Zane Simon (8 January 2015). "Welcome to the UFC, Joseph Duffy". bloodyelbow.com. Retrieved 8 January 2015.
- Staff (19 January 2015). "Joseph Duffy meets Vagner Rocha at UFC 185 in Dallas". mmajunkie.com. Retrieved 19 January 2015.
- Jason Floyd (4 February 2015). "Jake Lindsey replaces an injured Vagner Rocha, meets Joseph Duffy at UFC 185". themmareport.com. Retrieved 4 February 2015.
- Tim Burke (14 March 2015). "UFC 185 prelims results: Benoit upsets Pettis, Duffy wins debut". bloodyelbow.com. Retrieved 14 March 2015.
- Tristen Critchfield (5 May 2015). "Joseph Duffy to face Ivan Jorge at UFC Fight Night in Glasgow on July 18". sherdog.com. Retrieved 5 May 2015.
- Steven Marrocco (18 July 2015). "UFC Fight Night 72 results: Irish Joe' Duffy taps out black belt Ivan Jorge in first". mmajunkie.com. Retrieved 18 July 2015.
- Tristen Critchfield (18 July 2015). "UFC Fight Night Glasgow Bonuses: Calderwood, Casey, Duffy, Ray earn $50K". sherdog.com. Retrieved 18 July 2015.
- Tom Rooney (29 July 2015). "Joseph Duffy vs. Dustin Poirier headlines UFC Fight Night 77 in Dublin". mmajunkie.com. Retrieved 29 July 2015.
- Shaun Al-Shatti (21 October 2015). "Joseph Duffy out of UFC Fight Night 76, Paddy Holohan vs. Louis Smolka set as new main event". mmafighting.com. Retrieved 21 October 2015.
- Staff (28 October 2015). "Scrapped Dustin Poirier vs. Joseph Duffy fight rebooked for UFC 195 in Las Vegas". mmajunkie.com. Retrieved 28 October 2015.
- Brent Brookhouse (2 January 2016). "UFC 195 results: Dustin Poirier stays strong at 155, dominates Joseph Duffy in bloodbath". mmajunkie.com. Retrieved 2 January 2016.
- Dale Jordan (28 April 2016). "Joe Duffy vs. Mitch Clarke added to UFC Fight Night 90 in Las Vegas". mmamad.com. Archived from the original on 20 September 2016. Retrieved 28 April 2016.
- Ben Fowlkes (7 July 2016). "UFC Fight Night 90 results: Joseph Duffy blasts through Mitch Clarke with 25-second submission". mmajunkie.com. Retrieved 7 July 2016.
- Ariel Helwani (16 December 2016). "Joseph Duffy vs. Reza Madadi slated for UFC Fight Night: London". mmafighting.com. Retrieved 16 December 2016.
- Ben Fowlkes (18 March 2017). "UFC Fight Night 107 results: Joseph Duffy batters Reza Madadi for clean sweep on cards". mmajunkie.com. Retrieved 18 March 2017.
- Peter Carroll (13 July 2015). "Joseph Duffy signs seven-fight deal with UFC". mmafighting.com.
- MMAjunkie Staff (25 June 2017). "Joseph Duffy meets James Vick at UFC 217 at Madison Square Garden in New York". mmajunkie.com. Retrieved 25 September 2017.
- Dave Doyle (5 November 2017). "UFC 217 results: James Vick finishes Joseph Duffy in last second of second round". mmafighting.com. Retrieved 5 November 2017.
- David Tees (23 October 2018). "Ross Pearson faces Joe Duffy at UFC Fight Night Adelaide". fightful.com. Retrieved 23 October 2018.
- Jon Fuentes (7 November 2018). "Ross Pearson out of UFC Adelaide fight with Joseph Duffy". mmanews.com. Retrieved 15 November 2018.
- "Joe Duffy vs. Damir Ismagulov Set For UFC Adelaide, Immediately Canceled". Retrieved 18 November 2018.
- "Duffy Forced Out Of UFC Adelaide Due To Injury". MMAmania.com. Retrieved 18 November 2018.
- Adam Newsome (30 January 2019). "UFC London: Marc Diakiese vs Joe Duffy". newsomemma.co.uk. Archived from the original on 10 June 2020. Retrieved 30 January 2019.
- "UFC London results: Marc Diakiese snaps slide, cruises past Joe Duffy". MMA Junkie. 16 March 2019. Retrieved 17 March 2019.
- Gavin Quinn (18 June 2020). "Irish fighter Joe Duffy announced on UFC 'Fight Island' card in Abu Dhabi next month". irishmirror.ie. Retrieved 18 June 2020.
- Evanoff, Josh (18 July 2020). "UFC Fight Island 2 Results: Joel Alvarez Upsets Joe Duffy". Cageside Press. Retrieved 18 July 2020.
- Steven Marrocco (18 July 2020). "Joseph Duffy retires after quick submission loss at UFC Fight Island 2". mmafighting.com. Retrieved 10 August 2020.
- "MMAjunkie's 'Submission of the Month' for July: Ireland's other UFC star". 4 August 2015.
- Sherdog.com. "Joseph". Sherdog. Retrieved 18 July 2020.