Joseph Duffy returns against Marc Diakiese at UFC London

UFC lightweight Joseph Duffy will make his return to the Octagon in March against Marc Diakiese.

It’s been more than a year since we last saw Irish lightweight Joseph Duffy in UFC competition, but hopefully that drought will end on March 16th, the date scheduled for his Octagon return.

The UFC announced on Saturday that Duffy is set to face Marc Diakiese at UFC London, following a report from Myles Hutton.

Duffy (16-3) has not fought since a TKO defeat to James Vick at UFC 217. Best known for his win over Conor McGregor back in 2010, Duffy got off to a 4-1 start in the UFC, with three of his victories coming by stoppage. After the loss to Vick, injuries set him back considerably, and they led to him being unable to fight at UFC Adelaide last December.

Diakiese (12-3) was a highly touted prospect from BAMMA, but the Englishman appears to be teetering towards “bust” status. After winning his first three UFC fights, he’s since lost his last three, failing to impress against Drakkar Klose, Dan Hooker, and most recently Nasrat Haqparast last July. This is must-win territory for him, or his UFC career may be over.

UFC London streams live on ESPN+ and is headlined by a welterweight main event between former title challenger Darren Till and Jorge Masvidal.