Dan Hardy: GSP Lost To Johny Hendricks, Made The Situation Awkward
Former UFC welterweight title challenger Dan Hardy has been out of the Octagon since defeating Amir Sadollah back at UFC on Fuel TV 5 in September 2012. The hard-nosed slugger has a rare heart condition that unfortunately has the always-tough “Outlaw” on the sidelines.
But that’s not going to stop the outspoken Hardy from voicing his opinion. Not surprisingly, Hardy recently met up with Fight Now TV for an interview to address his former foe Georges St. Pierre’s controversial victory over Johny Hendricks at UFC 167, believing that the former longtime champ left the 170-pound division in an odd position (transcribed via MMA Mania):
“I think it left the whole division and the whole situation kind of awkward. A lot of people weren’t happy with the decision. A lot of people don’t feel GSP’s in a situation right now where he can just step away from the sport because there are a lot of questions left unanswered. I think [St-Pierre] lost the fight. I think he retained his belt, but I think he lost the fight.”
Indeed St. Pierre’s decision to step away from the sport at the time of his most narrow win was a very disappointing decision for many fans. St. Pierre cited personal problems for his absence, noting that he simply hadn’t been able to live anything close to a normal life while he was obsessed with fighting.
Hardy, who famously withstood both a brutal armbar and kimura attempt from St. Pierre at UFC 111, thinks that despite leaving the division at a bad time, it’s better than returning to the cage at less than peak fighting shape, both mentally and physically:
“If he’s taking time to step away from the sport, he needs it. There’s a reason for it. We don’t really want to see Georges St-Pierre compete at anything other than 100 percent. He’s not the champion if he’s not 100 percent. We need to see him at his best. If there’s something outside the sport that’s affecting him we’re not going to see his best in the sport. If he says it’s time to step away then he should.”
Hardy has both criticism and praise for the embattled former champion, who has recently stirred up controversy by citing problems with the UFC’s drug testing methods as a motivating factor for his absence. He may be gone for now, but the saga rolls on with St. Pierre regardless of his fighting status.
And while Hardy thinks that St. Pierre should not return until he’s one hundred percent committed to the fight game, he also said that Hendricks could have done more to walk out of UFC 167 with the belt:
“[Hendricks] said after the fight that he was only throwing with 70 percent of his power. I understand it, it was a smart, tactical thing to do, but once you pass the first two or three rounds, and he’s still there, you’ve got to go get the belt. You’ve got to go take it.”
Ultimately that’s the sentiment that may have earned St. Pierre a razor-thin title defense. Whether it’s right or wrong, St. Pierre left the sport behind as one of the greatest champions the sport has ever seen. Many think that St. Pierre still has to prove that he can defeat Hendricks convincingly; many others think he should ride off into the sunset with his long list of accomplishments in tow.
“Bigg Rigg” will now face Robbie Lawler for the vacant championship in the main event of UFC 171 in Dallas, Texas, on March 15. It’s a blockbuster matchup that features some of the most sheer knockout power ever packed into a 170-pound match up. However, it just doesn’t quite carry the aura of a GSP title fight. It’s obviously going to be awhile before someone holds the belt with such an iron grip, becoming an icon in the process. It may not ever happen again.
Do you give any credit to Hardy’s after-the-fact comments? Should St. Pierre finally just be left alone during his time off, or is he asking for the publicity and media attention by putting his comments out there?
Photo: Ron Chenoy for USA TODAY Sports
