Joseph Duffy (14-1) made his octagon debut at UFC 185 in March, defeating Jake Lindsey by technical knockout. He submitted Ivan Jorge in his second UFC outing in July and was on the verge of being a breakout star for the promotion.
Most famous for being the last man to defeat interim featherweight champion Conor McGregor, Duffy was lined up against Dustin Poirier in the UFC Fight Night 76 main event in Dublin. During his last sparring session, days before the scheduled event, Duffy suffered a concussion and was forced out of the Oct. 24 match-up.
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After his removal from the fight was announced on Wednesday, Duffy apologized to Poirier and the fans, and said that he’s “gutted” about the turn of events.
When news of Duffy’s injury broke, the UFC quickly tried to find a late-notice replacement, but their efforts were unsuccessful. Ireland’s Paddy Holohan and Louis Smolka, who were originally slated as the fight card’s co-main event, were moved to the top of the card.
