Joseph Duffy finding 'a real positive way of looking at' UFC 195 loss to Dustin Poirier

Joseph Duffy

Odd as it sounds, there is a certain liberation to be had for UFC lightweight Joseph Duffy in being recognized as the latest fighter to fall short against the resurgent Dustin Poirier, and not the last man to defeat featherweight champion Conor McGregor.

This past weekend at UFC 195, when Duffy (14-2 MMA, 2-1 UFC) dropped a unanimous decision to Poirier (19-4 MMA, 11-3 UFC) in the final preliminary bout streamed on UFC Fight Pass, he tasted defeat for the first time in more than five years.

Though the oddsmakers’ favorite on both sides of the Atlantic, the 27 year-old was unable to counter Poirier’s wrestling and impressive top control and, on reflection, believes he may have made life a little too comfortable for the American Top Team standout.

“He was closing the gap quick and I got drawn into his fight,” Duffy told MMAjunkie. “But it’s all easy in hindsight. Fair play to him – he came to fight and did a good job to get the win.

“I watched it back (Monday), so I’ll probably leave it until the dust has settled and have a good study of it. I probably won’t mess around and will get back to the gym and back to work.”

Indeed, the loss – which according to UFC President Dana White was seen by record viewership for the Fight Pass platform – signaled the denouement of a whirlwind 18 months for the quietly spoken Irishman.

Following a three-year sojourn from MMA, during which he went 7-0 as a professional boxer, Duffy returned to the sport in August 2014 and defeated Damien Lapilus via rear-naked choke at Cage Warriors 70 in Dublin.

Three months later, he disposed of Julien Boussuge in less than a minute and, in January 2015, became the UFC’s latest Irish recruit. Apart from his impressive resume, which contained just one loss as a professional, Duffy brought with him a back story the hyperbole peddlers in Zuffa couldn’t conjure if their lives depended on it.

Though still without his featherweight title, interim or unified, Conor McGregor, on the verge of starching Dennis Siver at UFC Fight Night 59 in Boston a year ago, had already garnered substantial renown. A quick perusal of his record showed Duffy, his reserved compatriot, was responsible for its most recent blemish.

As such, Duffy was inundated with questions about that night at Cage Warriors 39 in October 2010, when he submitted McGregor with an arm-triangle choke just 38 seconds into the opening frame.

However, it hardly did his profile any harm, nor did his first two promotional outings: a TKO of Jake Lindsay at UFC 185 and a triangle-choke submission of Ivan Jorge at UFC Fight 72 in Glasgow, both of which came in the first round.

Subsequently, he was soon counting White and UFC color commentator Joe Rogan among his most prominent and vocal admirers. Although flattered, Duffy remained largely indifferent to the praise.

The July showdown with Jorge in Scotland saw him on a main card in just his second bout under the UFC banner and “Irish Joe” was then matched with Poirier to headline the promotion’s return to Ireland for UFC Fight Night 76 this past October. Admittedly, being offered such an elevated position was of some surprise.

“I was just shocked that they regarded me highly enough to be the main event, and that was quite nice,” Duffy said. “A first main event in Ireland was going to be pretty special, but I was shocked by that.

“I was pretty sure ‘Gunni’ (Gunnar Nelson) was going to be main event. After Glasgow, I was pretty sure I was going to be on there at maybe the co-main.”

But Duffy sustained a concussion in training and was forced to pull from the bout just three days before the sold-out show at Dublin’s 3Arena.

The contest quickly was rescheduled for the UFC’s first showcase of 2016, which elongated the discourse surrounding a subplot dominated by McGregor, who had handed Poirier his latest loss before he departed the featherweight division for new pastures at 155 pounds.

Strangely, despite the fact Poirier had 13 UFC bouts under his belt, and was successful in all but three of those, there was a consensus Duffy would prevail and hasten what seemed an inevitable rematch with McGregor. Apparently, this was all lost on Duffy.

“I never let that stuff bother me,” he claimed. “I think it’s good that people feel like I have that ability, that they thought I was just going to go in there and take him (Poirier) out.

“I know people were moving fast with it all with me fighting a ranked opponent in my third fight, but it’s kind of where I set my goals myself. For me, it wasn’t unrealistic because, now, had I went out there and stopped him, we wouldn’t really be on about it.”

Few sports feature the vagaries of elite MMA and Poirier’s bravura performance at MGM Grand Garden Arena has monetarily halted Duffy’s ascent through the lightweight rankings.

While any loss is tough to contemplate for a fighter, being shown to be imperfect can also have a freeing effect.

“There’s definitely that side to it, and it’s a real positive way of looking at it,” Duffy 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.”

What’s more, it offers him the opportunity to be just another talented fighter climbing the ladder at his own pace, and not be inextricably tied to the ubiquitous McGregor for the remainder of his career.

For Duffy, when fans and media alike become preoccupied with additional narratives, it tends to detract from one key component: the actual combat.

“In general, I get asked a lot about Conor, but it’s not something that bothers me,” he said. “What he’s doing and what I’m doing is two separate things. If you get caught up in that (expletive), you’re taking your eye off the ball and going the wrong way.

“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.”

For complete coverage of UFC 195, check out the UFC Events section of the site.