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“I don’t think it gets me down so much as it hypes me up, because there is more to come,” Hardy said regarding the way his efforts are diminished, his upside is downplayed and the fighters he beats are immediately recast as “cans” in the aftermath of their encounters. “It’s going to be funny when I’m in the cage with a ranked guy and he becomes a can because I destroyed him in 45 seconds.”
But while many can’t wait for the day Hardy takes a major step forward and finds himself in the cage with a tenured veteran, the first-year fighter is content gaining experience and slowly working his way up the competitive ladder like most other UFC prospects.
“(Some people) are excited about getting me up there, seeing what I can do,” began Hardy, who carries a 5-1 record into his showdown with Sosoli on Friday evening. “But for me, it’s not a fame-seeking situation; it’s more the glory, the beauty in the sport, so me taking on these guys is an honor. It’s confidence building for me, but it’s also the fact that I get to go in there and test my mettle against another human being and build that comfort in the cage.
“You’ve got to know your limitations and you’ve got to be humble, because that’s the only real way to advance,” Hardy continued. “There are so many monsters out here that are getting better, faster every day and changing the game like (middleweight champion Israel) Adesanya, so you’ve got to just stay humble and improve.”
That has been Hardy’s mindset from the outset and the fact that he’s aligned himself with the elite crew at American Top Team from the jump shows the heavyweight prospect is committed to learning, improving and putting in the work necessary to earn greater opportunities.