JOSEPH DUFFY ADMITS that his fighting future remains unresolved as he prepares for the final bout on the five-fight contract he signed with the UFC in January 2015.
Duffy (16-2) is set to take on Reza Madadi on Saturday evening at the O2 in London. The lightweight contest will headline the preliminary portion of the UFC Fight Night 107 card (live on UFC Fight Pass from 5.30pm).
The Donegal native revealed last September that he has found himself in a contract impasse with the UFC. The organisation has offered him a new deal but Duffy doesn’t feel the terms are a fair representation of his value.
He’s subsequently on course to be a free agent when he wakes up on Sunday morning, so conversations with rival organisations like Bellator are inevitable.
Duffy had been striving to make it to the UFC since long before he made his professional mixed martial arts debut in 2008. However, should he continue to stand firm, Saturday’s clash with Madadi is likely to end his association with the company.
“It’s hard to say what’ll happen from here,” Duffy said. “To tell you the truth, I haven’t looked further than this fight. Obviously it’s a possibility that it will be my last [UFC] fight. Hopefully everything will be resolved pretty quickly after the fight.”
Duffy will be aiming for his fourth UFC win when he faces Madadi. The 29-year-old’s three victories to date have all come inside the first round. The only blemish on his ledger in the octagon was inflicted by top 10 contender Dustin Poirier via decision.
Nevertheless, the UFC’s offer of a new contract doesn’t — in Duffy’s opinion — reflect his achievements. Instead of accepting what’s been put on the table, Duffy has decided to take a stand and test the waters of free agency.
He knows he’s not the first fighter to go head-to-head with the UFC when it comes to contract negotiations. Bigger names than Duffy — such as Rory MacDonald and Benson Henderson — have been forced to move on after adopting a similar approach didn’t yield the desired outcome.
But in an age when fighters’ marketability appears to be of more value to the UFC than their skill, the understated former boxer insists that it’s important for him to stay true to his principles.
He said: “Things have to change, and I feel that if I don’t stand up and say it now then it’s never going to happen. I’ll take what I’m given and I’ll be in the same position with my next contract. You’ve just got to be true to yourself. You’ve got to do what you feel is the right thing and that’s what I’m doing.
“I feel like I’ve done what was asked of me. They ask us before every fight to go out and try to steal the show. I never hold back when I go out there, I try to put on the best performance possible.
“I feel like my fights have been pretty exciting. That’s our job — to go in and put on exciting fights, not the other stuff outside the octagon. Obviously that’s a part of it but the priority is what happens in the fights.”
No you’re the Crystal Palace of Merseyside
@Nucky: in that Liverpool have won more games, scored more goals and conceded less than palace is it?
@Mick Power: you’ve won one more game then palace so far this month and both of you got spanked by city
@Nucky: didn’t realise it goes by the month, the premier league have the wrong table up.
@Nucky: First English team to ever complete the Historic treble in 1984 league cup, league title, european cup. 5 times winner’s and retainers you’ll never sing that.OUCHHHH ACERS girlygirl xx
@Mrs. Nugent: I do hope there’s a cure for what you have. You strange little boy
@Mrs. Nugent: poor Marcus but you’ll never be the first English team to win the European cup or win the ‘clean sweep ‘of all trophies available to clubs.
@Johnny Bravo: that was Chelsea
@Johnny Bravo: first team with the clean sweep that is
@Johnny Bravo: its great knowing its eating you up. 1984 : original treble completed by the Pool. First done by us. Haahhah OUCHHHH ACERS girlygirl xx
@Philip Mc dermott: The clean sweep includes the Intercontinental cup and the FIFA Club World Cup. Chelsea nor any other English team have won them.
@Mrs. Nugent: dream on petal x
@Johnny Bravo: 5 TIMESSSSS YOU’LL NEVER EVER EVER EVER SING THAT OUCHHHHH ACERS girlygirl xx European cup for keepies baby girl pop down to Merseyside if you ever want to see the real deal. It lives there permanently. Hahaahahahahahahaahaa poor darling xx
@Johnny Bravo: Liverpool have won as many Super cups as the Mancs have won European cups you mug, we have double the Europeans titles. And that is a FACT my sweet little potatoe !!
@Johnny Bravo: sorry i thought you meant actual trophies played over months not one off games.
@Mrs. Nugent: you’ve never won them all angry boy and never will. I’m so glad you have a silly song about the past to sing cause you don’t have one about the future. BTW what time is it ? 5 past mingolet?? Blahahahaha Ciao jealous ladyboy …
@Mrs. Nugent: It happened 5 times …..it happened 5 times …….at the Etihad Stadium …..it’s happened 5 times
There ya go ya big girls blouse
Need to get some real defenders so, sharpish!!
Beginning to believe that mignolet is a good keeper doesn’t help that defence changes every game
@Trevor Carpenter: Drunk already on a Sunday lad?
@Trevor Carpenter: Delusional!
@Trevor Carpenter: valid intelligent comment imo
More like the RodneyTrotters !
Surely Klopp would love a winning record that came close to that of the Harlem Globetrotters
Damn right your not!! they always won