Joe Duffy reveals extended UFC break after first defeat

Back to the gym and back to the drawing board.

Joe Duffy's UFC ascent was comprehensively halted by Dustin Poirier in Las Vegas at the weekend. The Donegal man lasted three rounds against 'The Diamond' but was comfortably out-pointed after suffering multiple take-downs and heavy shots. Duffy admitted, in an MMA Junkie interview, that he has found a form of release, and freedom, in testing himself against a ranked lightweight and finally adding to a UFC story that revolved around his 2010 Cage warriors defeat of Conor McGregor. 'Irish Joe' also revealed he is going to take an extended break from the fight-game to fix some chinks in his game. He said:

"Regardless of the result, I was going to do the same thing: I was going to take six months off, work on my game and enjoy my training because I’ve spent the full year in camp and I’m only back in MMA just over a year and a half now.  "This fight showed a few chinks that I’ve got to fix, so if anything, it is a life-saver. Instead of papering over the cracks, we’re going to fix the problem."

Duffy has been talked up by the likes of UFC president Dana White and commentator Joe Rogan in recent weeks so he will certainly be given another couple of chances to get his lightweight career back on track. There are three months between the promotion's marquee UFC 198 [planned for New York] and UFC 200 events, in July, so Duffy will be aiming for a Fight Night or UFC 199 slot for his comeback bout. White told reporters, on Saturday, that Duffy's fight with Poirier attracted the biggest ever Fight Pass audience so he may be asked to fight another prelim to satisfy European audiences. As for his first defeat in the promotion [Duffy's overall MMA record is 14-2], Duffy feels it was just a skid on the long road to title success. He said, "Conor’s journey is a straight line so far, and mine is a different route on a bit of a curve. It’s a speed bump for now, but it doesn’t change my goal of getting that belt. "I think people miss what you’re doing technically in the octagon. I’m known for being the last guy to beat Conor, but then obviously they miss what I’m doing fighting. "You don’t want to be known for the wrong reasons. All I’ve ever wanted to be known as is a good, technical fighter."