Danny Duffy Out to Make Up for February Heartbreak with Homecoming Headliner
By Chris McNulty
Danny Duffy admits that he was ‘devastated’ to miss out on a Donegal headliner in February.
The Raphoe Boxing Club graduate gets his big chance again on Saturday as he tops the bill at Fight Night at the Valley 2.
Duffy will face Lakshmy Zaragoza Contreras in a super-bantamweight contest that is the headline act.
The 25-year-old ditched the amateur vest after winning Irish Elite and Senior titles in 2024, but has had a stop-start opening to his professional journey.
“It’s a brilliant card and I’m buzzing for the opportunity,” Duffy tells Donegal Daily. “Not many people can get to say this on their fourth fight that they got the headline so close to home.
“When I was coming up there was nothing really like this around, but thankfully Jason (Quigley) has brought it back so close and people now coming up from like boy 1s, boy 2, and the younger people can see that there actually is professional boxing and they can get on some of the big cards.
“There’s not many people can get to say that like that they train about 20 minutes from where they fight. I’ll just drive home after the fight and most people have to come down and stay in hotels and do things like that whereas for me it’s a 20 minutes journey from my house.”
Contreras, a 29-year-old out of Guadalajara, Jalisco in Mexico has been the distance on eight of his last 10 times inside the ring – including a recent clash with Donagh Keary at the Waterfront Hall in Belfast.
Although still a three-fight rookie as a pro, Duffy is stepping into a scheduled six-rounder in Stranorlar for his Mexican showdown.
“A big step, tough opponent,” Duffy says. “He’s going to come and give it his best go and I’ll be doing the same to come and put on a good performance and entertain everybody that comes out.
“He’s a tough, tough man so he is but I’ll be coming in and trying to get the stoppage, but look if it doesn’t come it doesn’t come. I’ll just be going in and put on a clinical performance.
“I’ve been out now a couple of months so I’ll be looking forward to getting back in. I didn’t know if I would have got the opportunity again to headline but I’m thankful to Jason and the team they all decided I can get the opportunity.”
In October, Duffy claimed a points win over the entertaining Ricky Starkey at The Aura Leisure Complex in Letterkenny. Scouser Starkey had the crowd on its feet and Duffy had to be disciplined against the often-awkward Englishman.
Duffy says: “Ricky brought the entertainment to the fight like that’s what it was all about for everybody that came out. The whole place was going mental but this time around I’ll be looking to come and bring an all-entertainment scrap to everybody and get the crowd going. On the night I kind of got I did get drawn into a scrap of things. I kind of let the crowd get the better of me as well but I’ll stick to my boxing this time.”
Duffy is already being touted as a possible title contender. Celtic and Irish belts are not too far on the horizon for the Strabane man if all goes according to plan this weekend.
He says: “I want to build a bit of momentum in this one, get the first six-rounder out of the way, maybe get a second one and look for a title after that maybe.
“Whatever opportunity comes my way I will take it. I’ll take any opportunity that comes my way at bantamweight or super bantamweight – whichever gives me the best opportunity, 100% I’ll take it on.”
Photo Credit Babs Daly
