(For reference: St. Pierre vs. Serra 1, UFC 69, 4/7/07.)
From an interview with #1 welterweight contender Dan Hardy on Sherdog:
Just to summarize, Dan Hardy‘s plan is to go at GSP swinging, assume he’ll be able to get out from underneath St. Pierre once he’s inevitably taken down, and hope that the welterweight champ suffers another once-in-a-lifetime fluke upset. Dios mio, man. But even though Hardy seems like he’s inviting disaster with his relatively carefree attitude about GSP’s wrestling, he does have a point in that if he does win the fight, it’ll be because he opened up on his feet, and fearlessly threw strikes at St. Pierre. Better fighters than Hardy have gone up against Rush, tried to stop his shot, and failed miserably, so why even bother making that part of your gameplan? Why not just focus on what you’re good at, right?
I get it, but in the aftermath of Serra’s crushing loss to St. Pierre during their rematch at UFC 83, Serra’s first winning strategy seemed like nothing more than a fluke. To stand a chance against GSP, you must somehow deal with those infamous takedowns. Your takedown defense must be airtight, or your defensive/offensive skills off your back must be brilliant. Hoping to box up GSP to a victory without the aforementioned attributes is a long-odds proposition, to say the least. Just because it happened once, doesn’t mean it’ll happen again.
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Comments
Tue, 12/15/09 - 01:54
And now, some retarded comments from some retards:
Tue, 12/15/09 - 01:56
dios mio Dan, sos un tonto....
Tue, 12/15/09 - 02:03
Hardy has fallen in love with his own hype a little too much methinks. The funny thing is that GSP will take him more seriously than any of us will. Since that loss to Serra, GSP knows that anything can happen and prepares for everything. Hell, he'll probably outstrike him on the feet, just to fuck with him before he takes him down. If Hardy couldn't finish Swick, do you really think he can finish off GSP?
Tue, 12/15/09 - 02:04
And the biggest retard himself Organ Donor makes the first comment. Way to lead by example. We should all aspire to be as just as big a retard as you! My Hero.
Tue, 12/15/09 - 02:05
Sounds like a good plan. I don't think anyone has gone into a fight with GSP and planned to punch and kick him. I hope the bookies aren't reading any of this because I want that line nice and open when I place my bet on Hardy. He's got this one in the bag.
Tue, 12/15/09 - 02:12
825iver: vos sos de argentina? boludo. Dan Hardy is getting taken down faster than the weak deer at a guido-fest. "Where'd my friends go? Oh well, I'll just have another drink..." same thing as: "Oh, I'll just get up once he takes me down"
Tue, 12/15/09 - 02:15
You gotta admire "the Outlaw's" confidence going into this fight ... I just can't help but wonder if its a little misplaced. Only Time Will Tell --- Although it seemed to work well for Mr Mir.
Tue, 12/15/09 - 02:17
@ skeletor. LOL, very nice. Dan Hardy is one of two things: a) completely delusional, or; b) completely stupid. This is like saying, "Anderson is a whiz on the feet, so I will just go for the TD and work from there." Well, just as Anderson is competent on the ground, GSP is a competent striker. Whether the danger of his TD is an influence or not, he head kick TKO'd Matt Hughes, brutalized Jon Fitch on the feet, and generally out-struck Thiago Alves on the feet. Is Hardy a better striker than Alves? I would generally say no, and in addition, his TD defense is terrible in comparison. The only thing which worries me is that since Serra, this is GSP's first "joke" fight: Fitch, BJ and Alves were all dream match-ups, with Fitch and Alves some of the toughest WWs of a decade, and BJ being a top-five P4P fighter. Will he make the same mistake as Serra?
Tue, 12/15/09 - 02:24
@ Disco-Platypus I agree GSP will out strike Hardy and end this fight early.
Tue, 12/15/09 - 02:24
R.I.P. Dan Hardy Sounds like you've got two brain cells left in that inverted wedge cut head of yours. One's lost, and the other is out looking for him. Frenchy ends this before the end of the second round.
Tue, 12/15/09 - 02:26
Well, at least he's being honest. If he did nothing but train takedown defense from now till March 27, he'd still have no answers for GSP's wrestling.
Tue, 12/15/09 - 02:30
I know the chances are slim, but I really do hope Hardy takes GSP out. Frankly, I'm sick of GSP's style since he's been the champ. His methodical dominations are really predictable and leave me desiring for the young and hungry GSP who took more risks. Go Hardy! (and yes, I'm Canadian)
Tue, 12/15/09 - 02:30
i read that post on sherdog earlier and i thought the same thing... did Hardy not see the second GSP-Serra fight? Serra got brutalized. when Hardy came out agaist Marcus Davis he looked pretty nervous off the bat and did not do much of anything off of his back for the entire fight...he will surely be improved since then but to the point where he will be able to shake off GSP?
Tue, 12/15/09 - 02:37
Dan should really get some new footage to watch. If he is planning on that George to show up he is in for a rude awaking. Any way you look at it Dan is going to lose, Thiago and BJ are much better strikers than Matt Serra, and George made them both look foolish.
Tue, 12/15/09 - 02:38
I still think Swick may have threw that fight a little. I think he understood that the winner was essentially signing their own death ticket. GSP round 1 via tko.
Tue, 12/15/09 - 02:39
Half of me is saying he is a fuckin idiot and the other half say's he might just pull this off!! i know swick is no gsp but he threw swick a beating and marcus davis and i was for sure he was going to lose both of those fights. so he might pull this off!! LOL NOT!!!! GSP by bitch-slapping-awsomeness
Tue, 12/15/09 - 02:40
Dan Hardy is to GSP what Diego Sanchez is to BJ. And LOL at all this talk about GSP's takedowns. Yeah, they're great . . . BUT . . . his top control is even better. Best of luck getting up when BJ and Alves could not. Best of luck with that triangle or armbar, too. He just won't have the answers to GSP's athleticism and smothering top game. That said, he's got to get his mind right to fight this Balrog mother****er. I think he's telling himself the right things. Unfortunately, it will not change the result.
Tue, 12/15/09 - 02:52
@petro WORD!
Tue, 12/15/09 - 02:55
GSP via not beeing eem press by yr pa form aaans
Tue, 12/15/09 - 03:22
Dan's plan is to work on getting up WHEN he is taken down, why waste energy on the takedown? GSP will get you down eventually, so why not work on getting back up? A fighter that knows he can get back to his feet is more dangerous than a fighter that doesn't want to be taken down.
Tue, 12/15/09 - 03:41
Its too bad that GSP has to waste a fight with "Ed" Hardy, that fight is gonna be a one sided beat down. Hardy has no "Riddum"!
Tue, 12/15/09 - 03:45
GSP via 2nd round nipple twist. TURN UP DA RIDDUM!
Tue, 12/15/09 - 03:51
Could be misinfo. put out to make everyone forget he's been spending a lot of time grappling (Eddie Bravo), not that it would necessarily save him; but a little misdirection never hurts. Hell he was smart enough to sucker Davis (good match-up) into a fight. Whatever the case the odds certainly are against him, but he seems to be very fast growing and intelligent as a fighter so I look foward to seeing what he'll bring to the table.
Tue, 12/15/09 - 03:56
The only person who I think who has a shot at stopping someone like GSP's takedowns is more than likely going to be the winner of Pedro Martinez-Don Zimmer II.
Tue, 12/15/09 - 04:01
sabado - that impression was hilarious! some good comments so far. here's my take on it: when gsp lost to Serra (chump that he is), it was the mother of all rude awakenings for him. that said, i don't think he's ever gonna take an opponent lightly again, since he wants to hang on to the belt a while longer. remember, when he worked his way back up from the loss to serra, he mowed through the likes of kos and hughes and then, when it was gsp vs. serra redux, fugetaboutit - that wasn't a ufc match; it was a lesson. also, what georges did to bj penn needs to be reexamined for its value for the following reason: bj totally dismantled a juggernaut like sanchez, made poor diego look like some flub they pulled off the street and offered 50 bucks for a shot at the title. diego's no pushover, but look at his face today. now, flash back to the beating gsp have penn: his corner had to throw the towel in, he had nothing left. no defense, no offense, no ability to recover from the takedown. he had nothing. now along comes this hardy character. yeah, he's got some speed and some strikes. so do all the competitors gsp has eaten alive. if hardy thinks he'll pop up from the takedown where a master like bj penn couldn't, he needs to reexamine his strategy. good for him to have the shot, but i think it's as likely that he'll beat gsp as it was likely that forrest griffin could take silva. a fun fantasy for the underdog that ufc management is indulging in, giving all the romantics out there something to pine over. in the end, i'm calling it a tko by gsp early in the 2nd.
Tue, 12/15/09 - 04:18
haha nice Balrog reference guy
Tue, 12/15/09 - 04:43
Lol @ Sabalo Gigante I live the UK and think it's great that we've finally got one of ours in a title match, and one that as earned a shot from winning fights, and not being the only Brit that anyone has heard of (I'm looking at you Bisping). So I'm just gonna sit back and enjoy the milestone that it is. HOWEVER GSP by dry-hump murder in the 2nd.
Tue, 12/15/09 - 04:48
dry hump murder! hahaha!! i also liked the balrog comment
Tue, 12/15/09 - 05:25
this must of been a comment after a long swisher sweet diaz-style training session..
Tue, 12/15/09 - 05:52
That Georges guy is pretty good eh?
Tue, 12/15/09 - 07:10
Yes Bob Reilly he is. This match is a formality...I just hope this fight does not leave Hardy souless. The fight I cannot wait for and that must be made is Hardy v. Alves! This is the style match-up I like at WW and it will be a great fight....do it Joe Silva, do it. @skeletor When you popped out of the lava at the end of the credits in Masters of the Universe, how did you get out of there afterwards?
Tue, 12/15/09 - 09:10
DUHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHbj pennHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHDDUHH GAWAHHHHHHHHHHdiego sanchez sucks. pickles. -this concludes today's retarded comment list.
Tue, 12/15/09 - 09:34
hey man, you're gonna be ok. that's a pretty good plan you got there, mr outlaw. on another note, i've noticed that the first commenter on several recent articles has alluded to the inferiority and/or diminished mental capacity of the subsequent comment(er)s. thereby insulting all readers who decide to comment, in advance. to that i say: bravo.
Tue, 12/15/09 - 11:08
Ah, one of my favorite fights. It's awesome, I get to see GSP right where he belongs.. on the shit end of an ass whooping. I'm not saying GSP sucks, I'm saying I wish he sucked, so that I could see this more often.
Tue, 12/15/09 - 11:55
Fluke win, bullshit. Serra hit him, hurt him, smashed his face. Nothing "flukey" about that. If anything, all you gay for Georges, you should be kissing Serra's garlic smelling, guinea ass for making Gsp humble and a better fighter.
Wed, 12/16/09 - 02:44
Hardy has less chance then timmy had aginst fedor, that is just a fact. GSP R2 via strait up fuckin' murder!
Wed, 12/16/09 - 03:53
Harry Russo, you're a moron. A fluke is a fluke.. no matter how he won.. ? he would never be able to do it again, and that makes it a fluke, lightning doesn't strike in the same spot twice... GSP is going to GNP this clown out. And I want to laugh during it.
Wed, 12/16/09 - 06:27
here's a snapshot into gsp's class: in the pre-fight smacktalk between koscheck and st pierre, it went like this: Kos - st pierre has no heart, that's how i'll beat him. i have more heart than he does. plus, if the fight isn't going the way i want it to, i'll just take him down and use my wrestling. i'm a far better wrestler than him... GSP - i av no art? well, dat tells me koscheck had a camera in front of im and e had to think of someting to say. since he doesn't know how e's gonna beat me or what my weakness are, dat's de bess e could come up wit for de camera. well, kos, we all know how everything you said was oh so wrong, and you ended looking like a jerk after that ass whoopin' he gave you. when hardy meets a similar fate, i'm sure gsp will demonstrate a similar level of class.
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