Despite a UFC title bout headlining the event and a whole mess of heavyweights looking to make a name for themselves on the main card, no one was under more pressure to win and deliver at this weekend’s UFC 146 event than Dan Hardy.
While the win was an emphatic statement for Hardy, it also validated UFC owner Lorenzo Fertitta’s decision to keep “The Outlaw” around after Hardy was submitted by a retiring Chris Lytle last August, and UFC president Dana White was obviously in full support of that decision last night.
Welcome back Dan Hardy!!! Suck it Hardy haters!!!!!!!
— Dana White (@danawhite) May 27, 2012
Going into his bout with Duane Ludwig, Hardy had lost his last four fights inside the Octagon, having gone winless since he failed to capture the UFC’s welterweight crown over two years ago at UFC 111, losing to Georges St-Pierre by unanimous decision.
Subsequent losses to Carlos Condit, Anthony Johnson and Lytle soon followed and fans were convinced that Hardy was no longer UFC material and would soon be on the unemployment line.
Instead, Fertitta decided to support Hardy and told the fans that the Nottingham, England native would not be getting cut by the UFC anytime soon and that he likes guys that “WAR.”
But for as much as he supposedly likes Hardy, Fertitta didn’t attempt to do him any favors in his next bout and Hardy was matched up against Ludwig, one of the few fighters in the welterweight division that seemed to have a clear striking edge over the talented kickboxer.
Once the fight actually started, Hardy looked comfortable quickly and started firing off combinations and closing the distance to work Ludwig off the cage.
This eventually lead to Ludwig getting a little too careless on the feet, and Hardy’s always dangerous lead left hand found it’s mark, left “Bang” unconscious on the mat and earned “The Outlaw” a knockout of the night bonus check.
Hardy still has a long road ahead of him if he ever wants to get back into title contendership, but last night he proved he still belongs in the same cage as the best fighters in the world, and it looks like he’ll have the UFC president’s full support as long as he keeps putting on exciting fights.
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