Joseph Duffy will surely be hoping to make up for lost time in 2019.
Despite being signed by the UFC four years ago, Donegal's Duffy has only competed in the Octagon on six occasions and he has now gone 15 months without a fight.
A rib injury forced Duffy out of a scheduled bout in Australia last November but 'Irish Joe' is back in training and has just had his next fight confirmed.
NewsomeMMA.co.uk were first to report the news that Duffy is set to fight Marc Diakiese when the UFC returns to London on St. Patrick's weekend and
Niall McGrath confirmed the bout shortly thereafter.
Duffy has lost two of his UFC contests to date, and suffered a TKO defeat for the first time as a pro in his last outing against James Vick.
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A former professional boxer, Duffy possesses some of the cleanest hands in the UFC's lightweight division but he has not been given a straightforward return opponent by any means as Marc Diakiese is one of the flashier strikers in the organisation.
After going 12 fights undefeated, three of which took place under the UFC banner, Diakiese is currently enduring a three-fight losing skid after losing to Drakkar Klose, Dan Hooker and Nasrat Haqparast.
Both Duffy and Diakiese are in desperate need of a win so the stakes will be high at London's O2 Arena on March 16.
