Products You May Like
But if you ask Hardy, the drama can’t take away what he has accomplished in the Octagon.
“Inhaler or no inhaler, I’m a man with asthma. I shouldn’t be here anyways,” Hardy said. “But I’m here fighting three rounds and knocking off all these men in one year – and I am counting Volkov. This is all a feat that has never been done before.”
Volkov, of course, is Alexander Volkov, the No. 7–ranked heavyweight in the world and Hardy’s opponent on Saturday at UFC Moscow. It’s a massive jump in competition for Hardy, who has yet to fight anyone in the top 15.
“This is the biggest opportunity of my career so far because this is the biggest competition,” Hardy said. “It’s my first real short notice fight, my first ranked opponent, my first Top 10 opponent and one of the most dangerous strikers in the heavyweight division.”