Donegal native Joseph Duffy, one of European MMA’s top prospects, faces what’s expected to be his toughest test yet in London next weekend.
The unbeaten Welsh-based 23-year-old will take on experienced Italian Ivan Musardo (17-6-1) in the co-main event at Cage Warriors 44, with the vacant CWFC lightweight title on the line. Duffy (10-0-0) is currently one of the most talked about fighters on the UK scene, having yet to taste defeat during his professional career.
Duffy appeared on season 12 of The Ultimate Fighter – the reality TV show produced by the UFC – last year but was eliminated at the entry round at the hands of Kyle Watson. However, it was a steep learning curve for the Ulsterman who has matured greatly in the last 12 months and was this week included in The Fight Lounge‘s list of ’10 UK fighters who should be in the UFC’.
“The TUF experience itself was amazing,” says Duffy reflecting on his appearance on the show. “I learned not to doubt myself, which has probably showed in my last few fights.”
Since his TUF disappointment, he’s bounced back with victories over Conor McGregor, Tom Maguire, Oriol Gaset and Francis Heagney, who’s the only man to take Duffy beyond the first round. Duffy’s stock has certainly risen in 2011 and catching the attention of UFC boss Dana White in the near future is a distinct possibility.
Despite his reputation for finishing fights in the first round, Duffy says he’ll be fully prepared if his bout with Ivan Musardo goes the distance at Cage Warriors 44 on Saturday, October 1. The fight will be contested over 5 x 5 minute rounds.
“My last fight against Heagney went the distance but I felt I could have pushed on for another few rounds and I was only training for three, so I’m pretty sure I’ll be well prepared on that front.
“I haven’t changed a whole lot in my training, apart from a few tweaks here and there. My preparations are going well. I’ve still got a couple of weeks left and I feel like I’m peaking at the right time so I can’t wait.”
Duffy’s clash with Musardo, who has secured 15 of his 17 victories via submission, is likely to be the toughest fight of his professional career so far but the Falcon MMA team member is relishing the challenge. “Each of my last few fights have been a step-up in competition but I’m confident in my ability and look forward to putting it to the test,” he said. “I’m expecting a tough fight from Ivan so I’m preparing for the full five rounds.
“Obviously you don’t get 15 submissions if you’re not dangerous on the ground but he’s not frightened to engage in any area so I’m training to be as well-rounded as possible. As the fights are getting harder I’m trying to make my training more specific to my opponent. I try to concentrate mostly on what I’m going to do but cater it to their weaknesses.”
As Duffy’s unbeaten streak has continued, the hype surrounding the Welsh-based lightweight has increased. “To be honest, it’s not something I take notice of,” he admits. “I tend to stay away from the forums and that kind of thing. I used to put a lot of pressure on myself but these days I just try to leave it all out there.”
If you fancy watching Duffy in action in his title fight at Cage Warriors 44 at the HMV Forum in London on October 1, tickets are available from www.CageWarriors.com.
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