UFC 111 - Dan Hardy enjoying his time in the spotlight ahead of title fight

UFC welterweight number one contender, Dan “The Outlaw” Hardy is back blogging this week about his preparations ahead of the UFC 111 showdown with Georges St. Pierre, revealing he’s revelling in the spotlight.

Speaking via ThisIsNottingham.co.uk, Hardy said:

“It is 10am now, and about to pack my gear to go to the gym... the same gym I was at less than 12 hours ago, writes Dan Hardy. It goes without saying that I am training hard for my UFC welterweight title shot against champion George St-Pierre in New Jersey on March 27. I'm also working hard on the PR side of things. The UFC are filming a three-part ‘Primetime’ series to build up the fight, where GSP and I have a crew following us around during the last month of training.”

“It's very strange to have a camera crew with you every day. They've filmed me getting up and making myself breakfast, filmed me watching TV, filmed every single training session and filmed plenty of banter between me and the guys at the Rough House. Me and the boys are always giving each other stick and I am sure it will make for good TV.”

Hardy went on to talk about the long list of fighters claiming he doesn’t deserve his moment in the sun.

“I've beaten everyone the UFC has put in front of me; I've never turned down a fight and I am not about to now. I would have been happy having a couple more fights before getting my shot, but I was offered a spot as a late replacement against Mike Swick in a final eliminator in November, accepted, and beat him up. It's funny Swick is now moaning that I didn't deserve this shot. Swick should have kept his mind off me and on his last opponent, Paulo Thiago, and maybe he wouldn't have been beaten again.

“Nate Marquardt is another guy who has been vocal that I am getting some sort of preferential treatment from the UFC. He's a middleweight, so I can't see how this concerns him. But all I can say is if I don't curl up into a ball and get blasted in one round, I'll do better than he did in his title shot against Anderson Silva.”

“I've won four UFC bouts to get here, not-so-great Nate had three, none of which were against world-beaters.
I am very amused Josh Koscheck is still bitching his lungs out that he deserves a title shot, not me. British fans will know Koscheck as the Fraggle-haired guy who got sparked out in one round in London a year ago, only to take his loss out on an innocent chair backstage, scoring a split decision points win over the unsuspecting piece of furniture.
“If you've forgotten that fight (and if you blinked, you'd have missed it) you'll see something very similar in May when Paul Daley knocks him out. Koscheck says I have beaten nobodies but my latest win was over his supposed friend and team-mate in Swick. How loyal.

“That's why Jon Fitch isn't improving, why Koscheck has so many one-sided losses on his record and why Swick will never fight for a title. They aren't really a team, they don't have each others' best interests at heart and clearly there's a lack of respect in that gym. The Rough House IS a team. We are 14-1 in our last 15 bouts and the one loss was when Ross Pearson and Andre Winner fought each other. I am glad I have their backing against GSP.”

Hardy will have the chance to become the first ever British UFC champion when he steps into the octagon at UFC 111 on March 27th in Newark, New Jersey. Can he pull off the upset as he goes for broke in this one? Only one way to find out.

By Michael Pepper. (Follow me on Twitter)