Conor McGregor carries a 12-fight win streak into his UFC Fight Night 59 main event against Dennis Siver in Boston on Jan. 18.
Soon, the fighter who handed the Irish featherweight star his last defeat will also compete in the Octagon.
Irish newspaper The Journal reported on Tuesday that Joseph Duffy has signed a multi-fight UFC contract. MMAFighting.com confirmed the report with UFC officials.
The 26-year-old Duffy, of Donegal, Ireland, has a record of 12-1. The lightweight’s main claim to fame in the sport is his first-round submission of McGregor in a 155-pound bout at Cage Warriors 39 on Nov. 27, 2010.
That’s not the only impressive victory on Duffy’s resume. Duffy also finished TUF: Smashes winner Norman Parke in a 2010 bout in Wales, which is the latter’s last loss.
He left MMA to pursue a boxing career in 2012, but returned to MMA last year and scored finishes in his two fights, including a 30-second, flying-knee KO of Julien Boussuge on Nov. 15.
Duffy, who lost a fight-in round bout on The Ultimate Fighter 12, was released from his Cage Warriors contract in order to sign with the UFC.