Exclusive – Dan Hardy reveals how MMA changed his life ahead of PFL return: ‘I loved the Ninja Turtles’

Former UFC welterweight title challenger, Dan Hardy has claimed the sport of mixed martial arts and other combat efforts have shared his entire life — from challenging for a championship in the Octagon, after going up idolizing The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

Hardy, a former title challenger under the banner of the UFC, most recently competed back in 2012, extending a winning run to two straight fights with a decision win over Amir Sabdollah, as well as a knockout success against Duane Ludwig.

And challenging for Octagon gold against former two-division champion, Georges St-Pierre back in 2010, Hardy, a fan-favorite from Nottingham, also captured a championship in Cage Warriors before his move to the UFC.

Dan Hardy reveals how combat sports and martial arts shaped his life

A lifelong martial arts fighter and practitioner, Hardy revealed how much the sport means to him — revealing how his love of the Ninja Turtles influenced his decision to pursue combat sports.

“Oh, I’m a prime example of it,” Dan Hardy told of how martial arts can change people’s lives during an interview with LowKick MMA reporter, Timothy Wheaton ahead of PFL this week. “I got into Taekwondo because I was struggling with bullies at school—it was a self-confidence thing for me. I loved the Ninja Turtles, but martial arts gave me the confidence to handle myself. By my mid-teens, I had built myself into a competent martial artist, and that gave me the confidence to walk into any room and have a calm presence. I no longer felt agitated or bullied.

“As soon as I was old enough, I started teaching kids,” Dan Hardy explained. “I had a whole group of kids I took to competitions. You can really see how it changes their lives, win or lose. Just going out there and trying, getting that positive encouragement from their parents—it’s huge. Martial arts is a life-changer.”