Exclusive Dan Hardy interview
At UFC 105 Hardy will face his toughest opponent – Mike Swick. If he wins, he'll be get a crack at the undisputed welterweight champion GSP.
You were going to fight Kim Dong-hyun but he has pulled out because of injury. How do you think the fight against his replacement, Mike Swick, will go?
I'm expecting the first round to be competitive and I don't think the whole fight's going to go my way – I certainly hope not because I've been training for a challenge. By the second round I'll find a hole in his game and will be able to land something clean. I'll knock him out.
Do you think he'll stand and bang with you or try to get you on the floor?
I've prepared for both. When I start to land consistently, it wouldn't surprise me if he tries to take me down. He knows my stand-up is better than his.
You've hung out with Swick in the past – is it fair to say you get on with him better than you did with Marcus Davis, whom you beat at UFC 99?
Yeah, he's a nice bloke, I've got no problem with him at all. But this is business. Unfortunately he's standing in my way and he's got to go.
What are your plans after UFC 105?
After this fight I'll be training for a five-round title fight. I'm going straight back to LA for four weeks to work on my wrestling, then I'll be back in the UK for Christmas. After that it depends on when I'm needed by the UFC. If I'm fighting in the US I'll do an eight-week camp here, then head over to the States for the last four.
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