UFC veteran Joe Duffy last competed at UFC Fight Night 90 and after his next bout, which is yet to be scheduled, he may not be competing in the UFC at all.
Duffy is currently at a standstill with the UFC brass over his next potential contract, he only has one more fight left on his current one. Duffy, when speaking to The 42, stated that the fight that the UFC offered him, for the UFC Fight Night: Belfast event, was not to his liking.
“Of course I’d be very disappointed to miss the Belfast card but I just feel that the fight I was offered didn’t make sense,” Duffy said. “There was no real upside to the fight for me. With it being the last fight on my contract, I feel there’s no benefit for me in taking it.”
Whether he would be fighting in Belfast or somewhere else, Duffy did state in the very same interview that he is always ready and prepared to take a fight.
“This is the fight game and at this level every fight I take has to mean something to me in more ways than one. I’m training hard and I feel great,” he continued. “I’ve never been more focused than I am right now so I guess it’s just a matter of waiting for the right fight for me. I want names that mean something and I’m ready to start my training camp as soon as that happens. If it’s Belfast then it’s Belfast, if not then so be it.”
With the Belfast card seemingly off the table, Duffy can (for now) focus on his contractual situation with the UFC, or maybe take his services elsewhere if that’s wat it takes.
“No, I’m not close at all [to signing a new deal]. I have been offered a new contract to sign but I don’t feel like I’m valued,” Duffy said. “The negotiation seems to be a case of take it or leave it. I’m not asking for a massive increase, just what I believe I’m worth as a professional mixed martial artist. It’s definitely looking like I will be testing free agency, but not by choice.”
