James Vick vs. Joseph Duffy set for UFC 217

Promising lightweights James Vick and Joseph Duffy will fight at UFC 217 in New York.

A great lightweight matchup has been added to the UFC’s big Madison Square Garden pay-per-view in New York City. The promotion announced on Monday that Ireland’s Joseph Duffy will take on Texas’ James Vick on November 4th at UFC 217.

Duffy (17-2) re-signed with the UFC after testing the free agent market following his win over Reza Madadi. He has an overall UFC record of 4-1, with his sole defeat coming against Dustin Poirier. Of course, one of his more prominent feats is submitting current lightweight champion Conor McGregor back in 2010, when both men were competing in Cage Warriors FC.

Vick (11-1) was a semifinalist on season 15 of The Ultimate Fighter, losing to eventual winner Michael Chiesa by KO. He has an impressive mark of 7-1 inside the Octagon, most notably handing prospect Jake Matthews his first career defeat, as well as submitting Abel Trujillo back in February. “The Texecutioner” is coming off a TKO finish of Marco Polo Reyes at UFC 211 in May.

Neither man is ranked in the top-15 of the UFC’s crowded lightweight division, but you have to figure the winner of this one will soon be ranked. They’re both talented fighters and this should be a good contest.

UFC 217 features a tripleheader of title fights, with middleweight champion Michael Bisping taking on the legendary Georges St-Pierre in the main event. Bantamweight champion Cody Garbrandt battles former champ T.J. Dillashaw in the co-main event, while strawweight titleholder Joanna Jedrzejczyk squares off against Rose Namajunas.