News broke Wednesday afternoon that Joseph Duffy had been forced off of the ‘UFC Fight Night: Dublin’ card due to a concussion sustained during training.
The UFC offered his opponent, Dustin Poirier, the opportunity to fight Norman Parke instead, however Poirier declined the fight. Conor McGregor, who defeated Poirier last year, also offered to step up and fight Poirier.
Ultimately, the UFC scrapped the bout and promoted Paddy Holohan and Hawaii’s own Louis Smolka from the co-main event slot to the main event slot.
Fighters took to Twitter to give their thoughts on Duffy’s withdrawal.
@andrewmcgahon_ @PaddyHolohanMMA @SevereMMA @SeanSheehanBA I was offered the fight..
— STORMIN NORMAN PARKE (@norman_parke) October 21, 2015
— Cathal Pendred (@Pendred) October 21, 2015
New Main Event @DustinPoirier VS @RothwellFighter @UFCEurope @MMAFighting I'm in, let's do it Dustin get paid
— Big Ben Rothwell (@RothwellFighter) October 21, 2015
Here @ufc let me help!! New poster for this week pic.twitter.com/xPgBemdVXG
— Big Ben Rothwell (@RothwellFighter) October 21, 2015
@danawhite Give me Porier, I will make it an amazing fight!!! Call me postman, because I always deliver!!! @ufc @TheNotoriousMMA
— Artem Lobov (@RusHammerMMA) October 21, 2015
Update the software without damaging the hardware.
— Coach Kavanagh (@John_Kavanagh) October 21, 2015
What a joke! @Duffy_MMA put a band aid on & have your mum kiss you better. I had a "concussion" the whole time I was on #tuf #glassfighters
— Ramsey Nijem (@RamseyNijem) October 21, 2015
I will step up take the fight at 170lbs #SavetheNight @danawhite https://t.co/XQY1x8OYNA
— Ross Pearson (@RossTheRealDeal) October 21, 2015
I just found out that the @DustinPoirier @Duffy_MMA fight was cancelled. Sucks for both men, I was really looking forward to that fight.
— Joe Rogan (@joerogan) October 21, 2015
I'm in Dublin @ufc but idk bout 155, 165 we could be talking lol jk sucks man was looking forward to watching @DustinPoirier
— Jerome-Max Holloway (@BlessedMMA) October 21, 2015
I will give peanut another crack at the King no sweat.
I'll take the gate. It's my gate anyway. A cool 7. Cash.
See you at the weigh ins.
— Conor McGregor (@TheNotoriousMMA) October 21, 2015
Sorry to the fans that were looking forward to this fight. It's out of my hands. Hopefully we can get it rescheduled….
— The Diamond (@DustinPoirier) October 21, 2015
I'll wait to reschedule. This is the guy I've prepared to fight for the last 10 weeks https://t.co/R7l54l6ANG
— The Diamond (@DustinPoirier) October 21, 2015
. @norman_parke this was my team's and management's decision to let the small fish go and fight Duffy when he's healthy.
— The Diamond (@DustinPoirier) October 21, 2015