Joseph Duffy retires after quick submission loss at UFC Fight Island 2

Esther Lin, MMA Fighting

Irish lightweight Joseph Duffy, who famously handed Conor McGregor a submission loss, has called it a career after a quick tapout at UFC Fight Island 2.

“I felt great all through camp and even warming up, I believed I was back to my former self then when I went in there it just falls to pieces,” Duffy wrote on Instagram. “I think it’s time to realize that I haven’t got what it takes any more.”

Duffy dove for a takedown against Joel Alvarez in the opening frame and was quickly caught in a guillotine choke, submitting at the 2:25 mark for his third consecutive loss. In his previous appearance, which came in March 2019, he was outpointed by Marc Diakiese.

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Thank you all so much for all your messages of support all week. I have been blessed on this journey in MMA and am truly grateful for every experience. I felt great all through camp and even warming up, I believed I was back to my former self then when I went in there it just falls to pieces. I think it’s time to realize that I haven’t got what it takes any more. Congrats to Joel Alvarez and thank you to the UFC for all the opportunities. I’m sorry I didn’t achieve what I set out to achieve for my fans, family, friends and myself but it just wasn’t meant to be. I am officially retiring from MMA competition

A post shared by Joe Duffy (@duffymma) on Jul 18, 2020 at 4:55pm PDT

Early in his octagon career, Duffy showed promise as an up-and-coming lightweight, showing off strong boxing and submission skills. By the time he made his UFC debut, his countryman McGregor was well into his campaign for a title in the featherweight division.

Questions about a potential matchup hounded Duffy, but he never gloated over his previous result and didn’t make McGregor a centerpiece of his goals. Until Nate Diaz tapped McGregor at UFC 196, Duffy was the only fighter on the roster with a win over “Notorious.”

The pair met in November 2010 under the Cage Warriors banner. Duffy avoided McGregor’s punches and took the fight to the ground, where he locked in an arm-triangle that brought a tap from the then-unknown prospect.

In 2017, Duffy signed a seven-fight deal with the UFC after moving into free agency with a decision over Reza Madadi. He retires with an overall UFC record of 4-4.