[UFC 111]: St-Pierre vs Hardy - One-Punch Hardy (27/03/2010)

Oh, boy. In a blog post highlighted by Fighter’s Only, British welterweight Dan Hardy is offering up the idea he needs only “one shot” to dispatch champion Georges St. Pierre.

Hardy’s striking is nice and clean, and he’s been showing improvement in every bout. Even though he’s a significant underdog in the eyes of the linemakers, the fight is by no means a Tyson/McNeely bit of snuff. But one punch? What’s in the water in the UK that’s turning good fighters into delusional knockout artists?

Part of this bravado likely stems from GSP’s surprising beheading against Matt Serra in 2007, but Serra and Hardy have little in common. Being shorter in stature, Serra was able to use a powerful lower body to project more power behind his punch; St. Pierre, just like most of the audience, had little idea Serra’s striking had come such a long way under the guidance of Ray Longo. Bad combination -- literally and figuratively -- for the champ.

None of these factors are at play in the Hardy fight. I feel like we’re being fed an increasing bucket of slop to help justify a match that’s happening purely because St. Pierre has destroyed just about everyone else in the division. He’ll hold the title for as long as he cares to. And I think he cares too much to drop it to Hardy.