After being forced to pull out of UFC Fight Night 76 with concussion, Joseph Duffy will finally face Dustin Poirier in tomorrow night's UFC 195 in Las Vegas.
The Donegal native certainly doesn't spark as much interest as Conor McGregor, but he has been included in the 'Fight Pass' prelims to make his bout more accessible to European viewers.
It is widely known that Duffy is the last man to beat McGregor in the Octagon, but the 27-year-old is quick to remind everyone that the featherweight champion is the be all and end all of Irish MMA.
Speaking ahead of the fight, Duffy also considered a rematch with the current featherweight champion and addressed the support that his compatriot compared to his.
"Conor's the one who's brought the spotlight to Irish MMA" he explained.
"He's very outspoken, he's got that personality that a lot of people are drawn to and that brought attention to MMA in Ireland."
The reason, he mentions, for the considerably smaller travelling contingent is just the time of year that the fight has been scheduled for.
"People are going to struggle to make Conor's fight, Christmas and then come back out for New Year.
"But I've had a lot of people message me that they're coming across so I'm really grateful for everyone who's travelled and everyone who's going to tune in."
The subject of a rematch did also crop up, but Duffy doesn't foresee a bout in the near future.
"I don't think (the fight will happen in) 2016. I think 2017" he said.
McGregor spoke directly after beating Jose Aldo to say that he would not be vacating his featherweight title if he is to move up a weight class to lightweight.
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