Hardy: Kos & Fitch had their chance, and got beat up
There are a lot of guys out there and I know Jon Fitch said a few things the other day…
There are a lot of guys out there and I know Jon Fitch said a few things the other day as well. Everyone’s entitled to their opinion and I’m sure those guys feel like they’re in a better position than me to contend for the belt, but they don’t know me and they don’t know what experience I’ve got and the fights I’ve come through to get to this stage. They’ve all had their chances and we know how those fights ended. Koscheck got beat up, Jon Fitch got beaten up, name it and GSP’s gone through them.
Georges St. Pierre is in a position where he beat everybody there is to beat and now he’s fighting guys who offer a lot greater risk than there is a gain in the fight – he’s risking a hell of a lot stepping into the Octagon with me.
I’m in a situation where not only can I shock the MMA world, but I can shock everybody, even people within my team. This is the Muhammad Ali in the Thrilla in Manila, the fight he was never supposed to win, or you know, Dan Gable at the 1976 Olympics, or the 83’ Raiders. The ones who have been counted out all the way throughout history that all of a sudden just applied themselves at the right point with the right game plan and the right mentality and shocked the world and people look back and get inspired by those stories, and that’s what I’m doing right now, I’m just creating that story.
I’ve not really had the opportunity or the chance to show people my ground game. I’ll be honest I’m not about winning by submission; I don’t enjoy winning by submission. I’ve got all the respect in the world for people that can take somebody down and submit them, but I like putting a beating on somebody – that’s just in my nature. The reason people don’t see my ground game is because I don’t think like a jiu jitsu guy. My intention is to put fist to face as often as possible and win the fight that way… I think I am very underestimated with my ground game and my wrestling. I’m hoping, well I know that Georges St. Pierre is the guy that can force that ground game out of me.
