Mike Swick Ready for the “Most Aggressive” Dan Hardy Ever at UFC 105

Published on: 2nd November, 2009

Mike Swick Ready for the "Most Aggressive" Dan Hardy Ever at UFC 105  | read this item

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With the welterweight title shot on the line to face current champion Georges St-Pierre at some point in 2010, both Mike Swick and Dan Hardy will be fighting for that right at UFC 105 next Saturday night in Manchester, England where Hardy will have the home crowd advantage. However, Swick is not about to let anybody take his shot away at being a champion himself in the making.

In a interview with UFC.com Swick talks about the respect he has for Hardy and in vice versa, but the former Ultimate Fighter season 1 alumnus adds that he is very well prepared for the “most aggressive Dan Hardy ever” at UFC 105.

“The exciting thing about this fight is not only is he a good opponent – he’s a very technical striker – but he’s a game opponent,” said Swick of Hardy. “He brings it, and mentally, he’s there, which is always a good sign. Another thing that’s exciting is that he has that all or nothing attitude. He’s got a lot to gain in this fight and not as much to lose because of the position that he’s in and I know I’m going to fight the most hungry and the most aggressive Dan Hardy out there. He’s gonna come at me with everything he’s got and that’s what’s gonna challenge me. The difference between Dan Hardy and me and where we rank doesn’t matter. The winner of this fight fights GSP (Georges St-Pierre), so it’s a huge reward for either one of us and there’s definitely a lot to gain.”

As we all know, Dan Hardy used his mental games on his last opponent, Marcus Davis at UFC 99 this past June and worked to his advantage in the win, but Swick assures that he is hoping Hardy gets that overconfident in where he believes that ‘The Outlaw’ will panic as things will not turn out to go his way.

“It’s 50 percent they’re trying to get in my head and 50 percent trying to build their own confidence up, but either way, I definitely hear it every fight. I can’t think of a fight that I’ve had where my opponent wasn’t saying how he’s gonna beat me up and do this or that. I guess it’s kinda normal for fighting, but it does always seem like the way they say it that they do underestimate me. It’s cool, and it doesn’t bother me because all that confidence has to go somewhere. And if they get in the ring with me and it doesn’t work out the way they had hoped, all that confidence turns to panic. I’ve seen that countless times, and that’s what I like. I like watching that confidence turn to panic, and then securing that win. The more confident somebody comes into a fight, the better it is for me and my gameplan. An overconfident opponent is setting himself up for serious panic issues if things don’t work out the way he expects.”

And as far as how he feels the fight will play out, Swick concludes by saying that he will be up for the task to get what he always wanted which is to be receiving his title shot and being a champion.

“I had to get right up to that point and lose it and have to regain it all again, so it’s very exciting,” he said. “I’m gonna do everything I can to make sure I get that shot and win that belt.”

Fan Question: Who you got, Mike ‘Quick’ Swick or Dan ‘The Outlaw’ Hardy?

Photo: ESPN.com

 Nelson Rodriguez AKA: Nelo2.0 is the Co - Owner of URDirt.com who is also an Editor and Author on the site. Read more from this author

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