A former pro boxer who's beaten Conor McGregor, Joseph Duffy has unique insight on May-Mac

For the week that culminated in Jon Jones masterfully regaining his position as MMA’s most potent exponent, we were offered a brief but profound distraction from the incessant cacophony that has ensued since it was announced that Conor McGregor will box Floyd Mayweather.

Jones’ stunning third-round knockout of Daniel Cormier in Saturday’s UFC 214 main event not only saw him recapture the UFC light-heavyweight title, but also became a brief embodiment of sport’s redemptive powers.

Only the most ardent of cynics could not appreciate the catharsis Jones reveled in as he dropped to his knees inside the octagon he has rarely graced for the past three years, once again sporting the belt that no opponent has been able to take from him.

In many respects, the context could be taken as the anthesis of how informed and misinformed people alike have come to view the boxing match between McGregor, the UFC lightweight champion, and arguably the greatest pugilist of his generation, Mayweather.

Gaudy, cynically conceived money-making scheme or not, McGregor (21-3 MMA, 9-1 UFC) and Mayweather (49-0 boxing) will, unforeseen circumstances notwithstanding, pit their skills against each other at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas in three weeks’ time.

Of course, given that McGregor has absolutely no professional boxing experience, there’s an overwhelming consensus that Mayweather will finally amass a 50-0 record with minimal effort.

And yet, there’s a lingering, albeit tentatively held, school of thought that the Dubliner might just confound the naysayers once again.

Those who espouse it believe McGregor’s speed, size, power and age are liable to offset the canny rear guard that ensured Mayweather spent two decades largely unfamiliar with the inconvenience of shipping a significant blow.

Of the chain of experts who have offered their musings and predictions for the bout, very few have any actual experience in transitioning from mixed martial arts to boxing. Fewer still can say they fought and beat McGregor.

There is a man, however, who has long since had both distinctions on his resume: UFC lightweight Joseph Duffy (19-2 MMA, 4-1 UFC). Having competed in both disciplines, the Irishman, who’s 7-0 as a pro boxed, admitted the general level of boxing in elite MMA is rudimentary, but that’s not necessarily an indictment of the latter.

“The standard isn’t high enough for a boxing match, but MMA is very different,” Duffy told MMAjunkie. “With the small gloves on, you haven’t got to be as technical because it’s easier for the shots to slip through and to get stoppages, and sometimes a wilder fighter can catch you off guard quicker than a technical fighter. It’s just different.”

Duffy burst onto the European regional circuit in 2008 and racked up 11 straight wins, including a 39-second submission of McGregor at Cage Warriors 39, before Ivan Musardo handed him his first pro loss.

The defeat came in October 2011, and it would be more than three years before Duffy competed in MMA again. On the advice of his then coaches, he decided to try his hand at professional boxing, but unlike McGregor, Duffy started at the very bottom. It proved a jarring culture shock.

“It was definitely tough,” he said. “I remember my first session that was officially only boxing, and the intensity and attention to detail in that first hour and a half was crazy. I had a lot to learn. I immediately wondered if I was going to be able to do it, but out of stubbornness, I wouldn’t have been able to give up.

“The type of fitness is very different. We obviously cover some of that in MMA, but there’s a level of comfort you have to get to. I remember sparring high level guys and there was almost a fight-like nervousness every time you’d go to a new gym.”

Duffy may have been preparing patiently for his introduction to the professional ranks, but it wasn’t long before the calibre of training partner improved exponentially. The Donegal native shared a ring with Chris Eubank Jr., who is now the IBO super-middleweight champion. It was a tough but enlightening day at the office for the newcomer.