British sensation Dan Hardy, a Cage Warrior's world champion, just signed a four fight deal with the UFC. With a remarkable 8-1 record in his last 9 fights, Hardy is known for his superb striking ability, his conditioning and his confidence. At 26 years old he is at the threshold of a path to glory that every young fighter wants to be on. He now faces a challenge he has been looking forward to his whole fight career, rising through the ranks of the welterweight division in the UFC.
I caught up with Dan a few days ago to discuss his new success, his background, his current training and his thoughts on everything from pot smoking to superheroes.
Roxy Richardson: Hi dan!
Dan Hardy: Hey. (Dan smiles. He's got a toothy, boyish grin and a pink colored Mohawk)
RR: How've you been, Dan? It's been a while since we've talked.
DH: I'm ok. Ready to get back to training
RR: How long has it been since your last fight? Did you take off completely since then?
DH: My last fight was May 3rd (against Daniel Weichel at Ultimate Force in the UK) so like three weeks. I took two days off and then started conditioning again, and lifting
RR: And eating brownies?
DH: (Laughs) I'm afraid not... just a ton of chocolate and fast food.
RR: Sounds like fun. I've been doing some of them same, but been back on training this week.
DH: Cool. When is the next one? July? (Dan Hardy is my Muay Thai trainer when he is in Los Angeles.)
RR: Yes. July 19th at Pechanga Casino in Temecula. I can't wait... It will be great to have my coach back!
DH: Yeah, looking forward to it! I'll be back in Los Angeles in early June.
RR: So you ready to get started with your in depth interview, Dan?
DH: I was born ready, (smiles).
RR: Noted... Okay, so you took up martial arts when you were 6 years old with Tae Kwon Do training. Did you dream of becoming a fighter then?
DH: Not really, my first instructor used to bully me so I hated going. It was only because my parents wanted me to that I continued. I didn't want to disappoint them.
RR: When did you start to enjoy the training and take it more seriously?
DH: My Tae Kwon Do club had two instructors. The one I didn't like taught the kids and beginners so when I moved up through the grades I was moved to the other instructor. I stayed with him for 11 years. He made the training fun and we are still good friends today.
RR: Wow, that's a long time. He must be very proud of you. Did you have other goals as a teenager? When did you start to see that fighting could be a career for you?
DH: I went through stages of wanting to be an artist but my heart wasn't set on it. It wasn't until I went to China to train (for fighting) that I realized that this was the way my life should go. I came back (home) and started training to fight.
RR: Now I know as a fighter your first love was Muay Thai. After a successful Muay Thai career you then transitioned to MMA. Your pro MMA debut was a loss. What made you decide to continue fighting MMA? Was there ever a time you questioned your decision?
DH: I knew that my first loss was my own fault. I was too aggressive and ran out of gas. I never had a second thought though; I already had another fight lined up a couple of weeks after against on of the best in the UK at the time. The only time I think I'm crazy is about ten minutes before I walk out to the cage, but that's just nerves!
RR: I know what you mean. I get the same feelings... You have stayed very active since your pro MMA debut in 2004, taking only a month or two between most fights. What drove you to fight so frequently? How do you feel it has helped shaped you as a fighter?
DH: I don't like long layoffs. I get real restless so I kept fighting. I knew when I started that there was nobody in the UK that was better than me and I was impatient to prove it. I was also fighting Muay Thai and K1 fights in the first couple of years (of pro MMA competition). On one occasion MMA and K1 on the same night! I think it has proved my hunger and aggression with me fighting so much. It's not something I have done intentionally though; I just love winning.
RR: Speaking of hunger and winning... Your first loss, to Lee Doski was avenged by a rematch victory where you broke Doski's arm. Of your other five losses who would you most like to rematch?
DH: The only one I'm not really interested in is Pat Healy. That was a stupid decision taking a fight on two days notice as I was exhausted and over trained. I never lost the Forrest Petz (fight). I was robbed of a decision but now I'm above him in the rankings so that doesn't matter. David Baron beat me once, the second time was a close decision but he would never fight me again because he knows I would knock him out. Yoshida, well that still pisses me off. He deserved an Oscar for his performance in the Cage Force final, clutching his nuts and saying he couldn't continue. He will get what's coming to him though.
RR: So can I predict Hardy versus Yoshida in a future UFC?
DH: That's up to the UFC, I don't get much of a say until I've won a couple but if I was offered him I would be extremely happy.
RR: When do you hope your first UFC fight will be?
DH: I'm not sure yet, I hope later in the year. Probably on a UK show first.
RR: You currently split your training between your home team in Nottingham (UK), Los Angeles and Las Vegas. Not all European fighters travel out of their comfort zone to learn new skills. What first inspired you to take an international approach to training?
DH: My first trip was to China to train with the Shaolin monks and since then I've been pushing myself to travel to find places to get my ass kicked in the hope of getting better. I didn't want to become a big fish in a small pond. The guys in team rough house keep me grounded though. They kick my ass every day but it's always nice to get beaten up by someone new.
RR: Plenty of ass kickers here in Cali, huh? You are known as a dangerous striker. Currently you train ground with Eddie Bravo. Do you feel your ground training will one day equal your stand up skills? How comfortable have you gotten on the ground?
DH: I'm getting better there; each day I see small improvements but I'm not sure I will enjoy tapping people out as much as hitting them. I'm hoping that my ground game will get good enough so I can hold them down while I do it though. I do have subs but the time hasn't been right to use them yet.
RR: I agree that hitting is so much more satisfying... From watching your fights I can see you have an amazing confidence and intensity in the ring. Can you tell me about your mental preparation for a fight?
DH: I spend a lot of time visualizing my opponent and I slow the fight down so I can clearly see every detail in my head. When I'm running I imagine I'm trying to catch them and that makes me run harder too. My confidence comes from knowing that I am well prepared and I have trained harder than them.
RR: I been on these runs you talk of, way behind you of course... You are a conditioning machine! Dan, what do you want to say to all the critics that say that you face a huge challenge coming into the UFC with such a stacked weight division including fighters Georges St. Pierre, Matt Hughes, Matt Serra, Diego Sanchez and Karo Parisyan to name just a few?
DH: I agree! The division is stacked but I always rise to the occasion and it is a challenge like this that keeps me excited and makes me feel alive. It just motivates me to keep improving and in my UFC debut, a lot of people will be eating their words.
RR: I'm guessing there will be a lot of word eating by your critics... So, when you retire, as a champion of course, what do you hope to do? Trainer? Gym owner? Promoter?
DH: I doubt very much I will be a promoter; it seems like a horrible job! I will definitely teach though and hopefully in my own gym. I will always be a part of the sport though.
RR: Can I ask a few random/silly questions now?
DH: Of course!
RR: If you could fight any superhero who would they be?
DH: Hmmm.... I'd say Wolverine because he heals so fast it would definitely be a war!
RR: If your house was burning down and you could only grab 3 things from it to save what would they be?
DH: My amulet, my iPod and my passport!
RR: As a member of the notorious Nibiru Warriors/10th Planet Clan and trainer of the infamous "Tigerheart" Grear, what is your stance on marijuana use and its effect on a fighter's development mentally and physically?
DH: I can't see how it would help a fighter in any way. An athlete doesn't need to put it in their body but if they choose to, it's their business. In my opinion it neither helps nor hinders (development) so I don't really think about it too much.
RR: Well said... In closing do you have anything you want to say to your fans and/or foes that I have left out?
DH: Just thanks to my fans for all the support and to all the critics, keep watching because I'll be proving you wrong.
RR: Thanks for your time, Dan. It's been a pleasure.
DH: Thank you!
For news, blogs and more go to http://www.danhardymma.com for more information about Mr. Hardy.
by Roxy Richardson of MMA-Underground.com
Photos Courtesy of Dan Hardy's Myspace page with permission
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