The Future For Dan Hardy: Where Does "The Outlaw" Go From Here?

Recently, Dan Hardy said that he believed he had the quickest rise and fall the UFC has ever seen. It’s hard not to agree with him: Hardy won his shot at the UFC Welterweight Championship by winning seven straight fights including four fights in the UFC, beating out tough opponents like Mike Swick and Marcus Davis. He has since lost four fights in a row, but has managed to keep his job in the UFC thanks to his penchant for putting on entertaining contests. Everyone has their opinion on what’s left for Dan Hardy to do in the UFC… here’s mine.

I’ll start by answering the critics that say that it is completely unfair for Dan Hardy to remain a UFC fighter. I honestly have to side with these cynics, Hardy being kept on is favoritism and nothing more than favoritism. The thing we forget, however, is that a privately-owned company that is in charge of hiring and firing fighters can play favorites whenever they want to. Lorenzo Fertitta made the call to keep Dan Hardy employed… he and his brother Frank Fertitta currently share the largest chunk of ownership of the UFC. My point is: if Lorenzo Fertitta wants to play favorites, he can play favorites. And we just have to deal with it.

That said, the one thing I know Dan Hardy shouldn’t do is move up or down in weight. Hardy has routinely struggled to come in at weight fighting as a Welterweight, so I can’t even imagine the hell he would have to put his body through in order to make Lightweight. Meanwhile, a move up to Middleweight may not be that good either. Hardy may have had trouble making 170 a few times, but I think he’d just be too bloated at 185. And let’s not forget, Hardy would be a Welterweight gaining weight to fight in a division where guys that could easily fight at Light Heavyweight cut down to Middleweight.

Dan Hardy has openly said that he would like to take some time off to figure some things out, I think that’s a very smart idea. That time off will allow Hardy to recuperate both physically and mentally.

The one thing I would change about Dan Hardy’s training is his striking camp. Let’s call a spade a spade: Dan Hardy has been and will never be a good ground fighter. What he does have is a lot of heart, good cardio, and the ability to stand and bang with just about anybody. But the problem with Dan Hardy’s brawling style is just that: he stands and trades, he takes two to give one and against a good striker, sometimes that one doesn’t even land. People have figured out Hardy’s style, his four straight losses are a testament to that. So I say it’s time to change it up.

I’m not saying Hardy flies off the Holland or Brazil in order to change his striking style completely, I just think he needs to go to a camp that prides itself on its technical striking and not its brawling. We all know Dan Hardy is tough, but there’s a way to pick your shots without being cautious or gun-shy. If Dan Hardy can just add a little refinement to his striking, I think he could pull off a major comeback.

And in regards to a next opponent? I don’t think a win over a can or a sacrificial lamb or a UFC newcomer will do any good. If Hardy is going down, I say let him go down swinging. I’d like Dan Hardy to fight Rory MacDonald, who has a lot of hype around him right now and is arguably one of the UFC’s hottest prospects. If not MacDonald, then perhaps a rematch with Mike Swick in Swick’s long-delayed return fight.

Overall, I don’t think all hope is lost for Dan Hardy. I think he can right the ship, and I think he can remain a UFC employee and get back to beating UFC opponents. It’ll take a lot of work… a whole lot of work… but it can be done.