UFC Fight Night: Rockhold vs Branch - Sep 16

[Egg Shen]

3 minutes ago, wandshogun09 said:

Exactly. Think it was Chris Lytle and Marcus Davis years ago who called each other out and there was no disrespect or insults. It was a fight they both wanted, they made it known and they got it. 

wasn't that Lytle and Dan Hardy? or was that just a similar situation?

Lytle and Marcus Davis though, now they were two fun fighters to watch.

[David]

It's not even that difficult. If you know deep down that you're not chasing a title or a top five spot, then call out someone that's gonna make for an exciting fight. And if you know that people think you're a dick, then call them out in a dick-ish manner.

You don't need to be Conor McGregor to do that.

[wandshogun09]

It might've been Lytle vs Hardy, it's all hazy. Think it was Lytle vs Davis though. 

Speaking of those guys, I loved the build up to Dan Hardy vs Marcus Davis. Forgot all about that. Hardy keep calling him a 'Plastic Paddy' and stuff. It's easy to forget now he's the laid back fight analyst/commentator but Hardy was great fun early in his UFC run. The build up to the GSP fight was some of the best fight hype the UFC's ever done IMO. It was the best hyped squash match in UFC history. Couture vs Toney gets the silver. 

[David]

I know it's completely off topic, but has Hardy pretty much binned any idea of a comeback? I remember a while ago he was hinting that he was looking into it?

[ColinBollocks]

Isn't the delay due to a medical condition? IIRC, he's yet to be medically cleared?

Maybe I'm not remembering correctly.

[wandshogun09]

I think he still wants to. Think it's still a case of convincing the commissions that he can safely compete with his heart condition. Sure he was saying he'd fight at 155 if he comes back as well. There was talk of him fighting Diego Sanchez at one point but until he gets the go ahead it's not happening. Can't see him ever coming back now. If the commissions were going to OK him to fight, surely it'd have happened by now. This month it's 5 years since his last fight against Amir Sadollah in Nottingham, for fuck's sake! 

[David]

It's a shame, as he was a talented guy! Could have made a run at 155lbs I think.

[Egg Shen]

i think at one point he was getting second opinions on his heart condition, he seems to be doing more analysis work these days though so maybe he binned the idea.

Hardy is a great example of someone who maximised his time when it came to promotional stuff regarding his career, i remember Hardy having features on him in the national papers before they were really covering MMA, he really knew how to play the game. He created feuds, talked shit and you could say over-achieved during his UFC run. The GSP fight at the time was a huge deal even though it ended up being and was always a bit of a mis-match, Hardy sold that thing like a muthafucker, props to him.

[wandshogun09]

I think I mention this every time we talk about that GSP vs Hardy build up, but sod it I'll do it again. 

My favourite bit of that build up was at the end of one of the episodes of Primetime (which by the way, was one of the best Primetimes they did) when they set you up all episode that Hardy has a 'secret weapon' who's going to help him prep for GSP. Then at the conclusion of the episode they hit you with the big reveal and it's Matt Serra! Looking back it's almost comical to think Hardy and Serra were going to get together and mastermind GSP's downfall and take over the world like a cauliflower eared version of Pinky & The Brain. But Serra had been the last guy to beat GSP (still is) and the way they built it up was great with the dramatic music, Hardy pulling up to the gym and then the big handshake at the end with Serra. It's nothing really but i loved it at the time and I love it now.