Even in logging a dozen minutes in the cage with Russow in his sophomore Octagon appearance, Duffee has still spent less than 1000 seconds inside the UFC over the course of his five fights. Overall, he averages three minutes and 30 seconds in the cage each fight, but that number shrinks to just 54.67 seconds in his victories.
“It definitely feels like missed opportunities,” he said of his four-year absence from the Octagon, which came as a result of multiple surgeries, a nasty bout of MRSA and other issues following his main event loss to former UFC heavyweight champion Frank Mir. “I ran into some management issues on my own, trying to secure a good contract; that was probably the hardest thing. It was really difficult, but again, I feel like it’s safe to say I’m the most exciting heavyweight in the UFC and I’ve done everything in the world to prove that.
“I don’t think it will be much different on Saturday.”
For his return to the Octagon, Duffee has been paired off with Jeff Hughes on the preliminary portion of this weekend’s fight card at Rogers Arena in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
A training partner of reigning heavyweight champion Stipe Miocic, the 31-year-old Hughes earned his place on the UFC roster with a first-round finish during Season 2 of the Contender Series, but dropped his promotional debut in March to TUF alum Maurice Greene.
