I fought Georges St-Pierre, Anthony Johnson, and Carlos Condit – but no one hit me harder than 'The Irish Hand Grenade'
12/19/2024 08:30 AM
UK MMA legend Dan Hardy has named his hardest-hitting opponent.
'The Outlaw' had 36 fights before his fledgling career in the sport was brought to a standstill by Wolff–Parkinson–White syndrome – a condition that causes the heart to beat abnormally fast and causes palpitations, dizziness, chest pain, and shortness of breath.
Since his last fight in September 2012, Dan Hardy‘s become one of the most well-respected commentators in the game and has been hired as the PFL Head of Fighter Operations in Europe.
Now he's looked back at his MMA run by naming the opponent who hit him harder than anyone else, and the sparring partner who could've taken that accolade anytime he wanted.
Dan Hardy reflects on Marcus Davis fight
Dan Hardy was the first British fighter to compete for a UFC title.
Four consecutive wins in MMA's premier promotion earned him a shot at George St-Pierre's welterweight belt at UFC 111 in March 2010.
Hardy went five rounds with 'GSP' but fell short via a unanimous decision in his championship bid.
The 42-year-old suffered the lone knockout loss of his career in his very next fight against future titleholder Carlos Condit.
Vicious KO merchant Anthony 'Rumble' Johnson came shortly after that, but Hardy managed to take him the three-round distance in March 2011.
Despite mixing it with the very best in the world, Hardy says he was hit hardest by a 23-11 (1NC) fighter, who was nicknamed 'The Irish Hand Grenade'.
In June 2009, Marcus Davis pushed Hardy to a split decision in his third UFC fight. All these years later, the popular Englishman still remembers one big whack he got hit during their scrap.
"I think the person that hit me the hardest was Marcus Davis," Hardy told Bloody Elbow.
"I remember him catching me clean on the chin and I felt like it rattled me to my heels.
"He had a heavy hand, it felt like someone hit me with a brick.
"Marcus Davis caught me with a good one when we fought."
Dan Hardy talks Paul Daley'smassive punching power
Even though Davis hit him the hardest, Hardy insists that the biggest puncher he's even stood in front of is Paul Daley, who was one of his sparring partners.
'Semtex' earned his nickname by knocking out 35 of his MMA opponents.
Hardy is just thankful that Daley never tried to detonate a bomb on his chin.
He added: "The obvious standout, and fortunately he never punched me with all of his power, was Paul Daley. He's head and shoulder's one of the biggest punchers that the sport has ever seen.
"Paul Daley for consistency and variety, his left hand was an absolute grenade.
"I saw him from the corner level a few people with it. When we were sparring, I always appreciated how much control he had even though he had power because a lot of fighters that have got power don't have control.
"Even in sparring, you could feel the weight behind the punch, but he had excellent control as well. For the lighter weight classes, definitely Paul Daley."
