Former UFC Welterweight Title Challenger turned UFC Commentator Dan “The Outlaw” Hardy has seen mixed responses since making his commentary debut at UFC Fight Night 37.
Hardy and his commentary partner John Gooden have certainly grown on fans since their debut show, and are now a known pair. Both men sat through 11-fights on Saturday night, but although for most it was just another UK card, for Dan Hardy, it was a full circle.
Let’s remind back to his commentary debut, where he sat cageside for the aforementioned UFC Fight Night 37. Brad Scott, Gunnar Nelson, Brad Pickett and Jimi Manuwa were all on that card, and all of them fought last night. Why is this a full circle you ask? Well, after that show, where Alexander Gustafsson stopped Jimi Manuwa in the main event, Hardy was more-so criticised than he was praised.
This time it was a completely different story. The 34-year-old’s analytical approach, mixed with some raw emotion, enticed fans into the show, and made them finally realise how important Dan Hardy is to the European commentary team. Along with that, something that struck fans was how he dealt with Brad Pickett’s final post fight interview.
Hardy humanised himself, and showed that he connected with Brad on a personal level. Although never officially having a ‘retirement fight’, medical conditions have kept Hardy from the octagon, so he knows the pain Brad will suffer not consistently fighting.
