Dan Hardy facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Dan Hardy
Dan Hardy at the UFC 146 Weigh-ins
Born	Daniel Mark Hardy (1982-05-17) 17 May 1982 (age 43) Nottingham, England
Other names	The Outlaw
Residence	Nottingham, England
Height	6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)
Weight	170 lb (77 kg; 12 st 2 lb)
Division	Welterweight
Reach	74.0 in (188 cm)
Stance	Orthodox
Fighting out of	Nottingham, England
Team	Hardy-Wallhead MMA
Rank	Black belt in Taekwondo Brown belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
Years active	2004–2012 (MMA)
Mixed martial arts record
Total	36
Wins	25
By knockout	14
By submission	2
By decision	9
Losses	10
By knockout	1
By submission	4
By decision	4
By disqualification	1
No contests	1
Other information
University	Nottingham Trent University
last updated on: 3 August 2011

Daniel Mark Hardy (born on May 17, 1982) is a former English mixed martial artist. He competed in the welterweight division, which is for fighters weighing around 170 pounds. Dan started his professional MMA career in 2004. He fought in several organizations like Cage Force and Cage Warriors. In 2008, he joined the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), which is one of the biggest MMA promotions in the world. In 2010, he even fought for the UFC Welterweight Championship title against Georges St-Pierre, but he did not win that fight.

About Dan Hardy

Dan Hardy was born in Nottingham, England. He started learning martial arts when he was only 5 years old! His first training was in taekwondo, and he began competing in matches at age 7. As a teenager, he learned other martial arts like karate, jujutsu, judo, and wushu. When he was 19, he started training in muay Thai and boxing. A year later, he moved into mixed martial arts, which combines different fighting styles.

His nickname, "The Outlaw," came from a name he used online. He was looking for new training partners after a disagreement with a coach.

Fighting in the UFC

Dan Hardy made his UFC debut at UFC 89 on October 18, 2008. He won his first fight against Akihiro Gono by a split decision. This means that two of the three judges thought he won. It was a tough fight, and Dan showed his strength.

On February 21, 2009, at UFC 95, Dan knocked out Rory Markham very quickly in the first round. After the fight, Dan proudly told the crowd that he definitely had punching power!

Dan then faced Marcus Davis at UFC 99 on June 13, 2009. There was a lot of talk before this fight because Davis had beaten many UK fighters. Dan won this fight by split decision too.

At UFC 105 on November 14, 2009, Dan fought Mike Swick. Many people thought Dan might lose this fight, but he surprised everyone. He hit Swick with a strong punch early in the first round. Dan won the fight by unanimous decision, meaning all three judges agreed he won. This big win made him the top contender for the UFC Welterweight Championship. He was the first English fighter ever to get a chance to fight for a UFC title!

Fighting for the Title

Dan Hardy got his chance to fight for the welterweight title on March 27, 2010, at UFC 111. He faced the champion, Georges St-Pierre, in Newark, New Jersey. St-Pierre won the fight by unanimous decision. After the match, St-Pierre was surprised that Dan never gave up, even when he was in a difficult position. Dan famously said, "....tap?...I don't know the meaning of tap," showing his incredible toughness.

After the Title Fight

After his title shot, Dan Hardy continued to fight tough opponents. On October 16, 2010, he faced Carlos Condit at UFC 120 in his home country. In the first round, both fighters landed big punches. Condit's punch dropped Dan, and the referee stopped the fight. This was Dan's first knockout loss.

Dan then fought Anthony Johnson on March 26, 2011, at UFC Fight Night 24. He lost this fight by unanimous decision.

On August 14, 2011, Dan faced Chris Lytle at UFC on Versus 5. He had changed his training to improve his grappling skills. He lost the fight by a submission move called a guillotine choke in the third round. Even though he lost, this fight was so exciting that it won the Fight of the Night award! Despite losing four fights in a row, the UFC president, Dana White, said he would not let Dan go because he loved fighters who always gave their all.

Dan Hardy got back to winning ways on May 26, 2012, at UFC 146. He defeated Duane Ludwig with a first-round knockout. This win also earned him the Knockout of the Night award.

He won again on September 29, 2012, at UFC on Fuel TV 5, defeating Amir Sadollah by unanimous decision.

Dan was supposed to fight Matt Brown on April 20, 2013, but he had to pull out of the fight.

Medical Condition and Commentary

In 2013, Dan Hardy was diagnosed with a heart condition called Wolff–Parkinson–White syndrome. This condition affects the electrical signals in the heart. A common treatment is a procedure called ablation, but Dan chose not to have it because the condition had never caused him any problems. In October 2018, he announced that doctors had cleared him to fight again.

During his time away from fighting, Dan became a popular commentator for UFC events. He also worked as an analyst for Fox Sports and Sky Sports. In August 2019, he joined the USADA testing pool, which is a step fighters take to prepare for competition. In 2021, Dan mentioned he was planning to return to professional MMA for one last fight in the UFC.

As a UFC Commentator

While working as a commentator at UFC on ESPN: Whittaker vs. Till on July 26, 2020, Dan Hardy had a disagreement with referee Herb Dean. Dan felt that the referee stopped a fight too late. UFC president Dana White said he wouldn't punish Dan but warned that such disagreements with officials shouldn't happen again.

In March 2021, news came out that Dan was no longer working directly with the UFC. He explained that it was due to a disagreement about a missed opportunity. In May 2021, Dan also announced that his UFC fight contract had ended.

Dan's Life Outside Fighting

Dan Hardy is a big fan of punk, metal, and hardcore music. He loves bands like Earth Crisis and Madball. His entrance song for fights is "England Belongs To Me" by the band Cock Sparrer, and he even recorded a version of the song with them!

He also has a passion for art. He used to carry a sketch pad with him almost every day until he was 22. He even studied art and design at Nottingham Trent University but left in his final year to focus completely on MMA.

Dan lives in England. He cares a lot about animals and has spoken out against trophy hunting. He is also an agnostic, which means he believes we cannot know for sure if God exists.

In 2015, Dan was part of a team that sailed in the Clipper Round the World Yacht Race.

On December 25, 2022, Dan Hardy married fellow UFC fighter Veronica Macedo.

Achievements and Awards

• Ultimate Fighting Championship
  • Knockout of the Night (One time)
  • Fight Of The Night (One time)
• Cage Warriors Fighting Championship
  • Cage Warriors Welterweight Champion (Two times)
• UFC.com Awards
  • • 2009: Ranked #6 Fighter of the Year
• CombatPress.com
  • 2019 Broadcast Analyst of the Year

Mixed martial arts record

See also

In Spanish: Dan Hardy para niños

• List of male mixed martial artists