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Strategic Call-Outs Alert: Hardy Wants Lytle; Johnson, Hendricks Would Also Like to Pick Their Next Opponents

(If only he put as much time and energy into choosing a barber. Hi-yo! Pic: Dan Hardy.org. Wait, Dan Hardy is an org?)

Well, this is getting pretty goddamned transparent. First everybody and their dog wants a coin-flip fight against Wanderlei Silva, then Ryan Bader responds to the first loss of his career by calling out Tito Ortiz and now – fresh off his own third consecutive defeat in the Octagon — Dan Hardy is suddenly very interested in fighting Chris Lytle. You know, just for the purposes of putting on “an old school shootout with a guy that wants to throw down” and stuff like that. We’re sure it has nothing to do with Hardy desperately needing a win.

“Screw the rankings, records are for DJs,” Hardy tweeted on Sunday, as part of a Twitter barrage expressing his frustration with losing a “boring” fight to Anthony Johnson at UFN 24. Once again the whole “mixed” part of mixed martial arts bit another standup-oriented fighter in the ass as Johnson first toppled Hardy with a head kick, then dominated him with his wrestling skills en route to a unanimous decision. After the trio of losses, Hardy’s job was saved only by the fact Dana White “fucking loves that kid” (his words) and now Hardy just so happens to fancy a matchup with one of the throw-downiest guys who ever threw down, yet doesn’t have a ton of knockout power. Must be coincidence.

Anyhow, after the jump we took the liberty of condensing Hardy’s irritation into one easily-digestible quote. Plus, find out what fights Johnson and Johny Hendricks also envision for themselves …

“Feeling very frustrated today,” Hardy tweeted. “No excuses, sometimes you just don’t win. I hate having boring fights though … I want to fight again. I feel like I’ve been robbed of the reward at the end of training camp … (I want to) win in a blaze of glory or go out on my shield (against) someone like Mr. Lytle …”

Speaking of DJs, we’re starting to feel like a broken record here ourselves: If you don’t like to be outwrestled, dudes, learn to be better wrestlers. ’Nuff said.

As Hardy was trying to cherrypick a sweet matchup for himself, the man who beat him still can’t get over his distaste for John Howard. Johnson told MMA Weekly on Monday that he would welcome a bout with Howard, despite that fact you’d think he should be on to bigger and better after his win over Hardy. Especially since Howard has now lost two straight. Who knows, maybe handing guys their third straight loss will become Johnson’s thing.

And finally: Hendricks, who rebounded from his first career loss with a TKO over Anthony Waldburger on Saturday, is requesting a leap forward in competition, with a fight against Diego Sanchez.

“I am wanting to fight Diego Sanchez next and need all my fans to help let the UFC know that is a fight you want to see,” Hendricks tweeted this week. “Please post on any MMA message boards and help me get that fight.”

Welterweights, man. They all want something …

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Smitty- March 29, 2011 at 9:36 pm
@ RwilsonR
Classic comment dog! Well put.
0 0 Reply
DangadaDang- March 29, 2011 at 8:58 am
@RWilson
I will drive the Lytle warwagon with you until it careens off a cliff. Lytle is a legend in my mind, and no one will ever come close to being as exciting a fighter as he is. Hardy shouldn't be able to call out anyone after losing 3 straight, but if Lytle is healthy it seems like a bad move for Hardy. Sure Lytle likes to stand and bang but he has SICK BJJ and when he locks in a straight armbar ala Matt Brown or Reverse Triangle armbar ala Jason Gilliam I think were gunna see Hardy tapping for the first time.
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MMA_Hole- March 29, 2011 at 2:02 am
This site reads more and more like TMZ everyday.

You've managed to base an entire article on a your own rather sensationalist interpretation of a handful of 140 character messages. Hell, the central assertion of the piece; that Hardy has called out Lytle, isn't even true. He basically stated that he thought that his last fight wasn't the most exciting and that for his next fight he wants to fight someone against whom he'll have an exciting fight, win or lose. Someone like Lytle. The four letter word in that last sentence that you've chosen to ignore is pretty damn important.

Also, I don't get where you get this crazy idea that Hardy doesn't train wrestling. It's no big secret that he works hard at it. He talks about it in interviews and his camp have stated many times that they are trying to bring in the right people to narrow the gap between the quality of wrestling there and that which you'd find in an American camp.

Dan is English and as such had never even encountered wrestling until he started training MMA. Anthony Johnson is an NJCAA national champion and George St. Pierre's widely considered to have some of the best wrestling in MMA. Being outwrestled by those guys is not indicative of him not bothering to train.

Since CagePotato fucked itself over and lost it's press credentials, there's been a trend towards trying to fill the gap once occupied by actual news with opinionated gossip pieces. I'm sure that there are some readers out there who enjoy this style of writing but I for one would like to see a little more journalism and at least some effort to somehow tie what's written in with reality.
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KINGMADE- March 29, 2011 at 1:35 am
This is the same guy gsp could not put away in 5 rounds. I guarantee rumble would have put him away before the end of the fifth. This is also a guy the UFC hyped as being good enough to challenge for the title. Any one that bought that ppv should ask for some money back. Hardy is not a contender he is a pretender.
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Jonny5- March 28, 2011 at 11:08 pm
Wow Hendrics calling out Sanchez I think is getting a little ahead of himself IMO. Anyone else think he should be really really to get a fight with a Ellenberger, Pyle, Kampmann, or Hardy??? I say kill two birds with one stone and do Hardy vs Hendricks next for a win or get fired fight for Hardy.
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RwilsonR- March 28, 2011 at 10:36 pm
Hey Smitty, glad to see you coming around on Lytle... not that you were ever really hatin. It will be sad for me if Lytle is too beat up to ever fight again. He would show Hardy a thing or two. You know, guys like Hardy remind me to appreciate Lytle all the more. Hardy is a guy who fought for the title, which is something Lytle never got to do. But you look at guys like Hardy, and they had their shot based on some lucky match-making and strange things going on in the division at the time, but years from now, they won't much be remembered in this sport. Hardy can only put on a show if the opponent is willing. But a guy like Lytle never had a title shot, but has faced some of the best for years and has consistently sat at the upper 25% of the division for the better part of 7 or 8 years. And he is capable of making an entertaining fight no matter where it goes because he can bang with anyone and grapple with anyone. He wins some, he loses some, but he is always tough and entertaining. And if his career is over, people will remember him in this sport.
I would love Lytle to come in and not give Hardy what he wants. He should take Hardy down and get him in one of those awesome top triangle and heel hook combo submissions, and show Hardy that he can't hand pick fights that only allow him to fight in one aspect of the game.
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Smitty- March 28, 2011 at 5:35 pm
@ RwilsonR
What up bro? As soon as Lytles name was mentioned in this article, I thought of you. It makes me think hard about our debate we had about Lytle, and makes me see your point even more. I personally would love to see "a healthy" Lytle against Hardy. WAR LYTLE!!!!
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fatbellyfrank- March 28, 2011 at 4:29 pm
Learn how to fucken wrestle dan or STFU
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MKO- March 28, 2011 at 4:25 pm
Would be incredibly funny if he called out Rory Markham, "I want someone that'll go old school with me! Rory, come out of retirement or whatever the fuck you're doing now and let's do this again, wanker!"
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RwilsonR- March 28, 2011 at 4:24 pm
On the other hand, it is probably smart business to call out a fighter who would guarantee you a spot on the televised main card, and is close enough to you in rankings that it is a possibility Joe Silva might make that fight. Bisping, Wand, and Lytle are all slightly about mid-tier in the rankings in their division, and all always have their fights on the main card. And Lytle helps guarantee you a FOTN bonus if you make it to the end of the fight with him. I still think it is a bit of BS to call anyone out after a loss, but prob not a stupid move on Hardy's part.
@ JohnnySac - I like the idea of a Condit/Johnson fight. That is a great fight to make.
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MKO- March 28, 2011 at 4:23 pm
Again, fuck Dan Hardy. Let's all be honest, his best win was a decision against Mike Swick. Let that sink in for a second. And as far as his striking goes, he has as many Ko's in the UFC as he does KO'd. He's like a less skilled Nate Diaz, only he doesn't have an excuse for his poor wrestling ability (horribly body type, bad genetics).
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Hesh to Steel- March 28, 2011 at 3:59 pm
Scumbag makes a good point about calling out the champ. Why does any fighter want to be known as someone who doesn't want to be at the top of the heap? Blows my mind a little bit, except, I suppose, in those situations where there's an actual, personal beef between the two. Although, even in those cases I think guys should be professional and just keep trying to fight their way to the top.
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scumbag- March 28, 2011 at 3:37 pm
Hardy even kind of looks like josh neer. Remember him, that guy that dropped two straight while getting smothered and at the same time verbalizing his disdain for bottom position. Where does he fight now?
I think that any fighter who calls out on losses due to their inferior skills should not be on the big stage. Have some respect for the sport and the fighter who used the unified rules of the ufc to dominate you.
I also think that any fighter who calls out anyone but the champion of their respective weight class just admitted to everyone except themself that their career as a contender for the belt is over.
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danomite- March 28, 2011 at 2:39 pm
funny thing about Hardy's three losses is that he was losing in the striking department too. He couldn't touch GSP, Condit KTFO'd him, and Rumble dropped him with a head kick. Lytle is probably the last guy he wants because Lytle will probably win (unless he comes in with broke-ass knees again) and then hardy will be all out of excuses.
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SocraticMethod- March 28, 2011 at 2:19 pm
I actually think a healthy Lytle would beat up Dan Hardy.

Good on Hendricks for calling out someone who is ranked much higher than him, though. That's really who guys should be calling out - fighters who have accomplished more and are more highly regarded than they are, not guys who they see as easy wins.
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JohnnySac- March 28, 2011 at 2:18 pm
Put Johnson against Hathaway. Johnson's clear weakness in a top-level fight is his wrestling/submission defense. Besides from the thunderous knee he gave Diego, Hathaway relies mainly on top control and strikes from the top. Good test of each other's weakneses. Or just give him Condit for a badass fight.
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jimbonics- March 28, 2011 at 2:14 pm
Lytle would assfuck Foghorn Leghorn
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RwilsonR- March 28, 2011 at 1:54 pm
I agree with all those who say that after a loss, you should just tell Joe Silva you are ready for whoever, whenever.
@ intercept440 - Carlos Condit
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Fedor Penn- March 28, 2011 at 1:47 pm
I don't get why people think the Hardy vs Rumble fight was boring. It was on the ground a lot but Rumble was active and beating Hardy up the entire time. Also Hardy had some submission attempts, although it was basically going for the same kimura then entire time, I still thought it was an entertaining fight. Hardy just likes to call his fights boring when he get's his ass kicked by a fight with some wrestling.
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intercept440- March 28, 2011 at 1:41 pm
if you lose period you should just stfu up and go back to training , then call joe silva and tell him your rdy to fight whoever they put in front of you., by the way who is the other guy hardy lost to besideds gsp and johnston, i cant remeber.
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RwilsonR- March 28, 2011 at 1:38 pm
I don't think anyone calls out Chris Lytle because they want an easy win. He is one of those people who is a tough fight for anyone. But I do think Hardy is calling out Chris Lytle because he doesn't want to fix the giant wrestling hole in his game, and he wants someone who will keep his word to stand and bang. It will be an entertaining fight, and it actually makes sense given the place of both guys in the division.
 
Out of curiosity - after Lytle pretty much went into his last fight with his knees fucked to hell, and indicated that he would have to evaluate some things medically as to whether or not he would be able to fight again... do we have an update if he is even a possibility for this fight?
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Vovchanchyn Check- March 28, 2011 at 1:36 pm
***is A PRISON
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Vovchanchyn Check- March 28, 2011 at 1:35 pm
**thing

i can't edit anymore? this house is PRISON
0 0 Reply
Vovchanchyn Check- March 28, 2011 at 1:34 pm
i love when people say "'nuff said" and continue talking about the same time.
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Morningwood- March 28, 2011 at 1:23 pm
AND if you've lost 3 straight you really should just stfu!
0 0 Reply

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