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Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) heavyweight up-and-comer, Greg Hardy, continues to moon-shot the softballs Dana White and Co. are lobbing to him, which is why some mixed martial arts (MMA) mouthpieces, including Joe Rogan, want the “Prince of War” to get a taste of what real heavyweights can bring to the table.
Like former title contender Francis Ngannou, for example.
Since MMA isn’t really a sport and operates on the prize-fighting model, the unranked NFL import is probably only one or two big wins away from taking on the No. 2-ranked “Predator,” who is patiently waiting for the winner of this upcoming rematch.
Hardy doesn’t sound too worried.
“Francis Ngannou is a fighter that has athletic ability. He’s not an athlete,” Hardy told The Slip ‘n Dip Podcast (via MMA News). “Just seeing what happened to Francis with Stipe was a warning, but from the beginning, I always told everybody I want to be a well-rounded fighter. I don’t want to focus on one thing and be one-dimensional. I want to be the man. And the only way you can do that is to take over.”
I think even critics of Hardy (and they are aplenty) would agree that he boasts a dangerous combination of speed and power, something that earned him a spot with professional football teams like Carolina Panthers and Dallas Cowboys.
The question for the “Prince of War,” who wins all of his fights by way of knockout, is how he’ll respond to high-level wrestlers like Curtis Blaydes, assuming he’s able to continue climbing the heavyweight ranks.