Hardy predicts UFC 111 finish, but he'll let St-Pierre decide which round
by John Morgan on Mar 14, 2010 at 1:05 pm ET
UFC welterweight title challenger Dan Hardy (23-6 MMA, 4-0 UFC) won't bring too many surprises to the cage when he faces champion Georges St-Pierre (19-2 MMA, 13-2 UFC) at UFC 111 on March 27.
The British slugger's striking attack has earned him a perfect mark in the UFC, so why change things now?
In fact, Hardy said the only surprise will be finding out what round he knocks out his Canadian foe, and "The Outlaw" is just fine with letting St-Pierre choose his own fate.
"It depends how eager he is to get the fight started," Hardy told MMAjunkie.com Radio (
www.mmajunkie.com/radio). "If it starts fast, he'll get knocked out fast. If he takes his time, he might get knocked out in a later round.
"It depends on him, really, and what kind of pace he wants to push."
Facing one of the most dominant champions in UFC history in St-Pierre, Hardy is the decided underdog. But the Brit has never lacked in confidence, and he said the key to success is simply doing what he does best.
"It's just about doing what I do," Hardy said. "If I'm too concerned about his gameplan, I'm never going to apply my own.
"My intention is just to go out there and do what I always do in fights and try and put people on the canvas. Obviously I know what he's good at and what he can do, and I'm confident that the skills that I've got are more than enough to get the job done."
Hardy main-events a UFC for the first time in his career, and it's on one of the most high-profile cards in recent memory. The Team Rough House product admits he wouldn't mind having a seat for the show, but he'll settle for leaving the arena as a champion.
"I wish, to be honest, that I could sit and watch the show myself, but I'll be busy getting ready for the fight," Hardy said. "It's a great card, and obviously being the main event, that's fantastic. I can't wait to get that belt around my waist. I'm real excited."
Time will tell if the brash 27-year-old can deal with the pressure that St-Pierre will undoubtedly pour on. But if his handling of the intensified scrutiny of the media is any indicator, Hardy believes he'll be ready.
"I don't mind doing the media stuff," Hardy said. "Obviously there is a lot more with it being a title fight and everything, but I welcome it. I enjoy the spotlight, and it just makes me realize how many people are going to be watching, and it makes me train harder."
As seen on the debut episode of "UFC Primetime," Hardy has already relocated his camp to the U.S. and is actively training with the man who handed St-Pierre his most recent loss, Matt Serra.
Hardy said he realizes the challenge that lies ahead, but the support he's receiving from both sides of the Atlantic have him comfortable he'll succeed.
"I have had some support from other fighters in the division, and that's been a great help," Hardy said. "All the U.K. fighters I've spoken to are real supportive, and I'm getting a lot of messages from people. But you know, I'm getting messages from all over the world, not just from the U.K. To my surprise, I'm getting a hell of a lot of messages from Canada.
"They usually start with, 'I'm Canadian, but,' and then it goes on to explain that they like Georges St-Pierre, but they're ready for a change, and they want me to win."
For complete coverage of UFC 111, stay tuned to the UFC Rumors section of MMAjunkie.com.
