UFC 111: Dan Hardy Believes Fight Is Bigger for Georges St-Pierre

While most MMA enthusiasts aren’t sold on Dan Hardy presenting much resistance against welterweight king Georges St-Pierre at UFC 111 , the champ claims he’s preparing for the toughest test of his illustrious career.

It’s a tune GSP has sung many times before, and Hardy isn’t fooled.

“I think he’s a smart champion, you know the reason he’s got the belt is because he takes people very seriously and he trains hard for all his fights,” Hardy told TopMMANews.com . “I don’t think he’s saying that because he doesn’t believe it. I’m sure obviously he thinks he’s within his ability to win the fight comfortably and I think partly the reason why he’s saying that is to kind of cover his own back a little.”

The Brit owns an impressive 23-6 pro record and will be riding a seven-fight winning streak into the March 27 title bout. 

While challenging the planet’s nastiest 170-pounder for his strap is an opportunity of a lifetime, Hardy believes all of the pressure is on the Gatorade and Under Armour -endorsed golden boy.

“It’s a bigger fight for him than it is for me, oddly enough,” Hardy said of his nothing-to-lose mentality. “He’s in a situation where he has to win the fight. If he loses to me that alters the direction that his career is going.”

Right now, GSP’s quickly going down a path toward becoming the welterweight division’s G.O.A.T. Along his journey, he’s become one of MMA’s most coveted pitchmen, and a loss would be devastating for not only his legacy, but his finances as well.

“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,” stated Hardy. “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.”

St-Pierre is an 8-to-1 favorite to retain his crown inside the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey.

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