Having previously indicated that that he was willing to fight out his UFC contract and test the free agency market, Joseph Duffy (16-2) will face Sweden’s Reza Madadi (14-4) at UFC London on March 18th next in what is the last fight of his UFC contract.
The fight had been rumoured for some time and was confirmed by UFC officials today.
Duffy turned down a fight on the November’s UFC Belfast card, saying that the opponent offered to him wasn’t of sufficient prestige to advance his career had he won. In Madadi, who was defeated by Norman Parke at the most recent UFC Dublin card in 2015, Duffy faces a durable opponent who last fought Yan Cabral last May, winning via TKO in the third round.
Duffy signed a five-year deal with the UFC in January 2015, moving to the organisation from European promotion Cage Warriors. He is 3-1 in his four UFC fights thus far, with a decision loss to Dustin Poirier the only black mark. His three wins have all been recorded in the first round.
Bellator president Scott Coker has previously indicated that Duffy is the type of fighter that he looks to acquire. The UFC will have an exclusive negotiation period on the expiration of Duffy’s contract, after which Bellator will be free to negotiate.
Signing a fighter like Duffy would be a huge coup for Bellator, especially given the recent success of the Bellator Dublin card in December as well as Coker’s insistence on building a roster of Irish-based talent, with James Gallagher most notable among them.
UFC London takes place on March 18th from the O2 Arena.
🇮🇪 @duffy_mma vs. @RezaMaddog 🇸🇪 is official for #UFCLondon!! Grab your seats early ⬇️
🎟 https://t.co/GXZpHhCSk0 pic.twitter.com/fuss6E4q6K
— UFC Europe (@UFCEurope) January 19, 2017
