Taking on Dustin Poirier in the main event of UFC Fight Night 76 in Dublin, Ireland, the Irishman Duffy had the opportunity to fight a name opponent on an intimate stage – directly under the spotlight of thousands of adoring hometown fans.
Just days before the fight, however, Duffy suffered a concussion in training, denying him this chance and forcing him off the card.
"I was… ‘numb’ would be the main word, I would say – just heartbroken," Duffy told Ariel Helwani on Monday's edition of The MMA Hour. "I’d been away from here [Ireland] for about 12 weeks working my ass off and trying to get in shape.