Joe Duffy Announces Retirement from UFC After Fight Night Loss to Joel Alvarez

Joe Duffy is calling it a career after his lightweight loss to Joel Alvarez at UFC Fight Night: Figueiredo vs. Benavidez 2.

The 32-year-old Duffy (16-5, 4 KOs) suffered his third straight loss Saturday at Fight Island. He posted his official retirement announcement on Instagram shortly after Alvarez forced a submission via guillotine choke:

"Thank you all so much for all your messages of support all week. I have been blessed on this journey in MMA and am truly grateful for every experience. I felt great all through camp and even warming up, I believed I was back to my former self then when I went in there it just falls to pieces. I think it's time to realize that I haven't got what it takes any more. Congrats to Joel Alvarez and thank you to the UFC for all the opportunities. I'm sorry I didn't achieve what I set out to achieve for my fans, family, friends and myself but it just wasn't meant to be. I am officially retiring from MMA competition."

Duffy has previously fought as a boxer, and it remains unclear if he'll look to resume his career in the ring. The Irishman was 7-0 having last defeated Attila Tibor Nagy in 2013.

Still, MMA was always his main sport. Duffy began on the amateur circuit in 2005 and quickly rose into the professional ranks, starting out 10-0 from 2008 to 2011 in the UK, including a submission victory against Conor McGregor at Cage Warriors 39 in 2010.

The loss was only the second of McGregor's career at that point and came three years before he signed with UFC.

Duffy joined Dana White's organization in 2015, earning a technical knockout victory in his debut against Jake Lindsey at UFC 185.

While Duffy never won a belt, his UFC career included wins over Ivan Jorge, Mitch Clarke and Reza Madadi, the latter serving as his final victory in the Octagon.

Following back-to-back losses against James Vick and Marc Diakiese, Saturday's bout offered a chance to prove Duffy could continue to put on quality showings, but a first-round loss only 2:25 into the match made it clear to the fighter his time in the sport was over.