Joseph Duffy’s Tri-Star teammates have revealed more information about the injury that forced him to withdraw from UFC Dublin.
Undefeated British welterweight Tom Breese, who’s fighting Cathal Pendred at the event, was in the gym when Duffy was knocked out during sparring.
“I was actually sparring at the time. He was sparring one week out from the fight, as normal. It happens, it’s a contact sport.”
Breese explained that the Donegal native was aware at the time that the strike could put him out of the fight, which eventually came to pass as the UFC withdrew him.
“He didn’t pull out of the fight, the UFC did. This was his event. I see a lot of people kicking him while he was down and I don’t like that.”
“He was aware (it was a concussive blow). The UFC were told that day.”
Scottish fighter Stevie Ray, who trains at Tri-Star in Montreal with Duffy and Breese said the damage was not confirmed straight away.
“I didn’t know. Obviously, I was over there (in Tri-Star) training. What I heard is from his last sparring session on Saturday he got rocked with a head kick. He got an MRI and he was waiting for the results. It came back that he suffered a mild concussion and he can’t fight.”
Duffy was scheduled to fight Dustin Poirier in the main event, but the fight was scrapped by the promotion. Paddy Holohan vs Louis Smolka will provide the headline bout instead.
