Tag: Ricky Hatton

Dan Hardy Boxes Diego Sanchez On Ricky Hatton Undercard July 2

Former UFC welterweight title challenger Dan Hardy is finally set for his long-awaited return to combat sport this summer. In a day of comebacks, British boxing legend Ricky Hatton announced his return from retirement for an eight-round exhibition bout against Marco Antonio Barrera. While that bout is set to headline the event, dubbed “One Final…

Continue Reading Dan Hardy Boxes Diego Sanchez On Ricky Hatton Undercard July 2 at MMA News.

Former UFC welterweight title challenger Dan Hardy is finally set for his long-awaited return to combat sport this summer.

In a day of comebacks, British boxing legend Ricky Hatton announced his return from retirement for an eight-round exhibition bout against Marco Antonio Barrera. While that bout is set to headline the event, dubbed “One Final Assignment,” one undercard contest will be of note to mixed martial arts fans.

Like Hatton, Hardy hasn’t been in a action since 2012. Having not competed since a UFC victory over Amir Sadollah a decade ago, the 39-year-old is set to lace the boxing gloves for a clash with fellow MMA legend Diego Sanchez.

The action is slated to go down inside England’s Manchester Arena on July 2.

Hardy (25-10-1 MMA) appeared inside the UFC Octagon 10 times between 2008 and 2012. During that stint, “The Outlaw” shared the cage with the likes of Georges St-Pierre, Carlos Condit, Anthony Johnson, and Mike Swick. In 2013, the Englishman was diagnosed with Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome, causing him to ditch the gloves for the microphone.

After transitioning to broadcast and commentary roles, Hardy left the UFC in 2021. An apparent altercation with a staff member was reported as the cause of his release. Since that departure, talk of a fighting return has been prevalent.

While frequent back and forth with former welterweight champion Tyron Woodley seemingly hinted towards a matchup between the pair, whatever negotiations that were going on have evidently fallen through, with a different former UFC star getting the call.

Sanchez (30-14), a UFC Hall-of-Famer, has been active in MMA since his debut in 2002. After a falling out with the UFC last year, seemingly thanks to the input of his controversial coach, “The Nightmare” was let go and competed under a different promotional banner for the first time since 2005 last month.

In the main event of Eagle FC 46, the second US-held event for Khabib Nurmagomedov’s promotion, Sanchez headlined opposite Kevin Lee. Despite his underdog status, Sanchez performed admirably en route to defeat on the scorecards. The 40-year-old will now turn his attention to welcoming Hardy back to action in what will be both men’s first foray into the squared circle.

As well as Hatton vs. Barrera and Hardy vs. Sanchez, a celebrity bout between Casey Walsh and Don Strapzy is also advertized for the event.

How do you expect the bout between Dan Hardy and Diego Sanchez to play out?

Continue Reading Dan Hardy Boxes Diego Sanchez On Ricky Hatton Undercard July 2 at MMA News.

Ricky Hatton: ‘Conor McGregor’s Not Going to Hit Floyd Mayweather’

Former boxing champion Ricky Hatton isn’t giving Conor McGregor much of a shot in a boxing match with Floyd Mayweather. Hatton knows all about facing Mayweather. He fought “Money” back in Dec. 2007. Mayweather starched him and earned a 10th round TKO victory. Speaking with ESPN, Hatton said “Notorious” will have a tough time hitting […]

Former boxing champion Ricky Hatton isn’t giving Conor McGregor much of a shot in a boxing match with Floyd Mayweather. Hatton knows all about facing Mayweather. He fought “Money” back in Dec. 2007. Mayweather starched him and earned a 10th round TKO victory. Speaking with ESPN, Hatton said “Notorious” will have a tough time hitting […]

Ricky Hatton Congratulates Michael Bisping On Becoming First British UFC Champion

Former boxing champion Ricky Hatton is one of many members of the fight community to congratulate Michael Bisping on becoming UFC Middleweight Champion on Saturday night.

Hatton, a former British fight champion himself, as he was a multiple-time cha…

ricky-hatton-michael-bisping

Former boxing champion Ricky Hatton is one of many members of the fight community to congratulate Michael Bisping on becoming UFC Middleweight Champion on Saturday night.

Hatton, a former British fight champion himself, as he was a multiple-time champion for years in boxing, took to Twitter following Bisping’s knockout victory over former UFC 185-pound champion Luke Rockhold in their rematch in the main event of UFC 199 on Saturday night at The Forum in Inglewood, California.

Hatton posted the following:

UFC also congratulated Bisping on becoming the first-ever British champion in UFC history with the following tweet, which promotes an article on the official UFC website:

Conor McGregor: Ricky Hatton or Naseem Hamed, Babyface or Heel?

After dispatching Dustin Poirier inside of two minutes at UFC 178, even Conor McGregor’s most cynical critics would have to concede that he has something a little bit special.
The Irishman isn’t all talk. The hype would appear to be real, a…

After dispatching Dustin Poirier inside of two minutes at UFC 178, even Conor McGregor’s most cynical critics would have to concede that he has something a little bit special.

The Irishman isn’t all talk. The hype would appear to be real, at least from this writer’s perspective.

Of course, there is still the question of how McGregor will hold up against an elite wrestler, but it’s time to admit that he has far more going for him than just the gift of the gab.

The 26-year-old’s popularity is starting to be reminiscent of Ricky Hatton’s in the mid-to-late 2000s. 

The former two-weight boxing world champion from Manchester would routinely attract thousands of fans from around the UK and Ireland no matter where he fought. When “The Hitman” travelled to Las Vegas for fights against Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao, it felt like the entire population of Manchester had descended upon Sin City.

As was the case on Friday, the weigh-in became an event in and of itself. Watching Hatton strip down to his skivvies and step on a scale would have been sufficient to attract several hundred thousand pay-per-view buys on its own.

Like the Mancunian, McGregor has a working-class appeal that strangely complements his cockiness. He is not, as some have suggested, MMA’s own “Prince” Naseem Hamed.

Hamed didn’t possess the requisite charm to offset his ego.  Consequently, he was promoted as a heel. Tens of thousands of fans weren’t travelling from Hamed’s hometown of Sheffield to cheer him on.

Even in the UK, a significant percentage of fans tuned in to see him get his comeuppance. When Marco Antonio Barrera slammed Hamed face-first into the corner post during their bout in 2001, half the country cheered in unison.

That clearly isn’t the case with McGregor. Not in the UK, and certainly not in Ireland. It’s doubtful that the majority of the MMA fanbase even view the Irishman as a heel.

Some athletes are so magnetic that you are willing to forgive their excesses. Imagine the words of Muhammad Ali being spoken by a lesser personality. You’d happily remortgage your home just to watch that man take a hiding.

Of course, McGregor will have to continue to back up his lofty claims if he expects the fans to stay on his side. No one wants to hear an ordinary fighter make extraordinary claims, even if he happens to be charm personified.

But as long as the Irishman looks as extraordinary as he sounds, the fans will continue to hang on his every word. The sport has a new star right when it needed it most, and we should all be thankful for that.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

Ricky Hatton: ‘Boxing Can Learn Something from Mixed Martial Arts’

(Video courtesy of YouTube/FightHubTV)

FightHub TV caught up with former IBO and The Ring Magazine light welterweight boxing champ Ricky Hatton recently in the UK to get his take on MMA and according to “The Hitman” he’s come around in his opinion of the sport.

“At first mixed martial arts wasn’t seen as too popular, but more and more it’s getting bigger and bigger all the time. And the more and more yo look into it…at first I thought it was just people rollin’ about on the floor huggin’ each other, but that’s far from it. As it’s getting more popular, when you actually look into it scientifically there’s a lot more to it. It’s not just about standin’ there and usin’ your feet and usin’ your fists,” he explained. “It’s about gettin’ your opponent on the floor, puttin’ him in a certain move, which is a work of art in its own right. The more and more popular it’s gettin’ it’s not become just a part-time thing now. It’s a professional sport and I’m sure I speak for the mixed martial arts people as well as the boxing people in saying that these people — the nutritional people — are the best probably even more so than in boxing because it’s a lot more physical than boxing, isn’t it? I can say slowly but surely, the more I’ve watched it I’ve become a bit of a fan.”


(Video courtesy of YouTube/FightHubTV)

FightHub TV caught up with former IBO and The Ring Magazine light welterweight boxing champ Ricky Hatton recently in the UK to get his take on MMA and according to “The Hitman” he’s come around in his opinion of the sport.

“At first mixed martial arts wasn’t seen as too popular, but more and more it’s getting bigger and bigger all the time. And the more and more yo look into it…at first I thought it was just people rollin’ about on the floor huggin’ each other, but that’s far from it. As it’s getting more popular, when you actually look into it scientifically there’s a lot more to it. It’s not just about standin’ there and usin’ your feet and usin’ your fists,” he explained. “It’s about gettin’ your opponent on the floor, puttin’ him in a certain move, which is a work of art in its own right. The more and more popular it’s gettin’ it’s not become just a part-time thing now. It’s a professional sport and I’m sure I speak for the mixed martial arts people as well as the boxing people in saying that these people — the nutritional people — are the best probably even more so than in boxing because it’s a lot more physical than boxing, isn’t it? I can say slowly but surely, the more I’ve watched it I’ve become a bit of a fan.”

Perhaps most surprising is Hatton’s assertion that “The Sweet Science” could stand to learn a thing or two from it’s distant cousin. Although he says he likely wouldn’t have tried his hand at the sport, he gives MMA and its fighters credit.

“I have enough to worry about looking at the fists without having to look at the feet, the elbows and the knees. No, I am a big fan. I was a very physical boxer, so something like that is right up my street and the more popular it gets [more people realize] these are professional athletes who work hard and dedicate themselves at it, so I tip my hat to them. I don’t think [MMA will eclipse boxing]. Boxing will always have its own audience and boxing is its [own] sport,” Hatton pointed out. “[MMA] is becoming [more] popular all the time. Certainly in the United States it’s becoming very popular, but I think there’s room for both sports. Boxing can learn a bit from mixed martial arts. You go there and they create [an amazing] atmosphere with the ring entrances and the music and everything like that. In this financial climate you’ve got to put something out there that sells. From that point of view boxing can learn something from mixed martial arts, but I think they’re always going to have their own fans — mixed martial arts and professional boxing.”

Ricky Hatton on MMA: I’m Becoming a Big Fan

It has been more than two years since former light welterweight boxing champion Ricky Hatton has fought in the ring, but he still keeps up-to-date with boxing and mixed martial arts.In this recent interview with Fight Hub TV, the 33-year-old talks abou…

It has been more than two years since former light welterweight boxing champion Ricky Hatton has fought in the ring, but he still keeps up-to-date with boxing and mixed martial arts.

In this recent interview with Fight Hub TV, the 33-year-old talks about both sports and if they can coexist and still be successful.

“Mixed martial arts wasn’t seen as too popular, but the more it’s getting bigger and bigger all the time and the more you look into it—first, I just thought it was people rolling about on the floor on top of each other,” said Hatton. “As it gets more popular, you look into it a little bit more scientifically, and there is a lot more to it. It’s not just about standing there using your feet and your fists. It’s about getting your opponent on the floor and putting them in a certain move, which is a work of art in its own right.”

“The more I watch it, I have become much more of a fan,” Hatton continued. “The more popular it gets, the more I’ll get into it. These are proper professional athletes now, and they work hard. They dedicate themselves at it.”

Hatton hasn’t recently come to know what the UFC is all about. He attended UFC 75 from London, England, in 2007. His Dec. 8 bout with Floyd Mayweather went head-to-head with The Ultimate Fighter Finale in the same year.

Recent boxing events have been broadcast on the same nights as the UFC. Hatton doesn’t see it as a problem.

“Boxing will always have its own audience,” Hatton said. “There is room for both sports. Boxing is one sport. Mixed martial arts is another one. Boxing can learn from mixed martial arts. They create an atmosphere with the ring entrances and the music and everything like that. You gotta put something out there that sells.”

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com