RSS
Home
Confessions of a Shopaholic: Dan Hardy talks Mike Swick, Shaolin monks and his affinity for shopping
Print
Email
RSS
Subscribe
Dan Hardy at his UFC debut at UFC 89
“They (UFC) put the heads on the chopping block and I keep taking them off.”
I’m willing to bet that you wouldn’t think this quote came from a aspiring artist who happens to love to shop, play video games, and train with Shaolin Monks? OK, well maybe the latter.
But that is exactly the way Dan “The Outlaw” Hardy likes it. He likes being unassuming. Forget the colored Mohawk and the vicious striking prowess--this resident of Nottingham, England is a true renaissance man.
Hardy (22-6-1) burst on to the MMA scene at UFC 89 defeating PRIDE FC legend Akihiro Gono in a bloody war that saw the judges award a split decision to the flamboyant Brit. Since that time he has built a steady following of MMA fans, walking that fine line between underground legend and full blown superstar. A line that Hardy walks with immaculate precision. And in an era of “making it rain” at strip clubs and charging for signatures, Dan Hardy prefers to stay in with his girlfriend and take in a movie, or maybe play a little Xbox--all the while taking time out for the people who made him what he is today, the fans. “The Outlaw” is a fighter who likes to stay close to his fans, often times taking time off on the eve of a fight just to say, “thank you“ to the fans who make it all possible--a man who recognizes the importance of “keeping it real.”
In just about a week Hardy will be facing his toughest opponent to date in Mike Swick (14-2), at UFC 105 in Manchester, England. “Quick” Swick is by far the most dangerous opponent Hardy has ever faced, and with a title shot on the line, he is also his most important. In this exclusive Q and A learn what makes Dan tick. What he enjoys doing (shopping?!) in his time off, and just what it was like training with the legendary Shaolin Monks in northern China.
Ryan McKinnell (Examiner.com): Well first off buddy, I kind of have to ask the stock question--how’s training going? I know you have a tough camp out there, so if nothing else I know you’re getting your butt kicked.
Dan Hardy: (Laughs) Yeah no doubt. Yeah, I’ve got a tough team down here and we have all 4 guys training for 105--myself, Nick Osipczak, Andre Winner, and Ross Pearson. It really has brought the whole team together, and it has been a really great camp with everyone helping out.
(Examiner.com): Yeah, and that has to be cool to watch all of your boys come up and become recognized. Because, you were kind of the first along with Mike Bisping, and I don’t want to say British MMA was overlooked, but it definitely was not given credit that was due in my mind.
DH: Yeah, yeah I would agree with that, but the times are changing and we have a lot of young talent coming through. And the talent is really coming through in this country, you know, and it’s really nice to have a lot of those up and coming guys on my team.
(Examiner.com): Now you arrived in the UFC with a tough fought decision against the always game Akihiro Gono at UFC 89, but since that time you’ve really grown immensely as a fighter and as a personality, especially after the Marcus Davis fight. Just talk about how surreal all the new found fame is, and the scene it causes when you go out, especially in your home country.
DH: You know it’s really exciting. I’ve been working at this sport for a really long time and to be receiving the recognition I have always wanted is really nice. I also like to put in a lot of time with the fans, you know meeting them and what not. I think that has really helped attribute to my recognition or whatever. I really do take time to shake a lot of hands, take pictures, and sign a lot of autographs and I think that keeps me close to the people and helps my career. And yeah, it is kind of crazy, you know? I mean, a lot of people recognize me when I go out and there is a lot of interest in what I do day-to-day and things like that. So it really is just exciting and it’s great receiving that recognition.
(Examiner.com): And that really is so true. I mean I look at your Facebook page and it seems every other day your getting tagged in other peoples photos from events all over the world. And I think it really is that grassroots approach that will endear you to the fans, even if they don’t know you. It’s like I always say, “real recognizes real.”
DH: Yeah, absolutely. I have all the time in the world to meet fans. Even after the weigh in’s of a UFC event on those Fridays, I will head out to the UFC Fight Club parties and say hi to everyone. You know, just to thank them for coming to the venue and showing their support and stuff.
(Examiner.com): Definitely. I also think that is what endears MMA fighters to so many fans around the world. The accessibility. It’s not like baseball or football here, or soccer in your country--it’s not a bunch of prima donna’s worrying about face time or getting back to their private jets and hitting up the strip clubs. This really is a sport were the athlete’s are humble and the fans love that--I guess you could relate it back to all that hard work you talked about.
DH: That’s exactly it. As the sport changes and the money comes in, that might change a little bit. At this time, now, the fighters are still accessible. Fans can still send emails directly to me and come up to me at shows and be involved with me directly, as it is with most fighters. That’s why the fans are so loyal. They can meet their favorite fighters and they feel that attachment to them.
(Examiner.com): Ok, now switching gears. Sometime last year Michael Bisping got an award from a magazine like FHM in Britain, and he was named their “Man of the Year.” Is it safe to say Britain is bringing sexy back?
DH: (Laughs) uhhhhhhh, yeah, I think that was ‘Zoo’ magazine here in Britain and he got Britain’s “Coolest Man of the Year” award. Which was actually quite shocking considering he was up against guys like Daniel Craig and Jason Statham. I was quite surprised with that, but it just goes to show you how much the sport has grown you know?
(Examiner.com): OK, well I’ve noticed you rocking some pretty slick suspenders and designer jeans at shows with some styling white shoes. So with that said, who would win in a walk off on the runway, you, or Mike Bisping. (laugh)
DH: Me, no doubt (laughs).
(Examiner.com): Had did I know you would say that? You know Dan, not a whole lot is known about you outside of the cage. I know you love art and music but what other stuff do you like to do, besides training and punching people in the face.
DH: Ha! You know, lot’s of things really. I really do love music man. Anything from metal and hardcore, to punk, ska, reggae and stuff like that. I really do have a real wide taste in music. I love the English Beat stuff, Sublime, Buffalo Springfield, Pantera, anything really. Um, Xbox obviously takes up some time (laughs).
(Examiner.com): What are you hitting up on Xbox?
DH: Currently, at the moment, ‘Burnout: Paradise’. Cause’ I’m really missing my car right now. That’s another thing--I have a ‘71’ Chevy Nova.
(Examiner.com): What!? That must get some looks over in England!?
DH: Aw no man, I don’t have it over here. It would be way too expensive!
(Examiner.com): Oh, so it’s over in L.A.?
DH: Yeah, my girl is currently taking care of it for me.
(Examiner.com): Well that is still pretty sick. You have to miss it like your favorite dog or something?
DH: Yeah, yeah, yeah. It’s actually going to be in the next issue of the UFC magazine. They wrote an article on me and did a photo shoot with the car. So it’s pretty cool.
(Examiner.com): Nice. So you were talking about Xbox and stuff…
DH: Yeah, really lots of stuff man. I love to travel and spend time with my girl. We spend a lot of time in L.A. as well, going to gigs and what not. We hit up the drag races and we head over to Vegas all the time and I, uh, do a lot of shopping. But yeah, just lots of stuff, I like going to the movies and stuff like that.
(Examiner.com): (laugh) Right on. So, Dan Hardy: confessions of a shopaholic then, right?
DH: (Laughs) Yeah, I’m afraid so…I have a little problem with shopping. It can be anything as well; from DVD’s, to furniture, to clothes, it can be anything really. I just like to spend money.
(Examiner.com): Well nothing wrong with that man. OK, here’s something I really wanted to talk about. I heard that you gave up your studies at the art institute in your final year to pursue MMA full time. Now, I’m of the belief that life is made up of very small and very few decisions that come your way and you have to choose what fork in the road you want to take, to use the old Robert Frost poem I suppose. So what I want to know is, what were you thinking at the time? What made you do it? Will you ever go back? Etc…
DH: Yeah, you know, it was really difficult for me because you always plan on going to university and graduating. Where I was at at the time, university was at the city center and I was catching a bus into town everyday and I had my art stuff on one shoulder and my training stuff on the other. It really came down to the stage, do I want to spend all day at the gym? Or do I want to spend all day at the university? And at the time, the gym was winning out. After I spent about two years doing that and coasting through the first two…and I mean I was enjoying what I was doing, but training was taking up all of my time. When I got to my third year I really had to make a decision because I couldn’t keep doing both, really. I either took a break in my career and finished that last year or I took a chance while I was still young and able to fight. Yeah, it was a difficult decision, but at the end of the day I can always go back to university. I can come back to that type of stuff. I can sit at a desk when I’m older, but right now I need to explore my physicality and what I can do in the sport. Which is where my real passion lies.
(Examiner.com): That’s interesting. You know I talk to a lot of fighters and it seems that some of the more heady and educated ones sometime have a problem with hurting people. What I mean by that is, they sometimes get sick of punching people in the face and their competitive edge sort of wears off. Is that something you are concerned with?
DH: No. I’m a fighter and that’s just my mentality. I have no problem going in there and putting a beating on somebody, cause’ it’s their choice to be in there. I’m not going out and picking fights on the streets, you know? Because obviously that would be quite ignorant of me and make me a sort of bully, but because I’m stepping into an arena with someone of equal skill as me, it’s a test. That other person across from me is there for the same reason. He is testing himself. You know, I’ll give it everything I got and I won’t feel bad what-so-ever. I’ve always said though, I don’t want to injure someone permanently but that’s the risk I’m taking when I step in there, and they are doing the same thing.
(Examiner.com): Definitely, and that can bring us into Mike Swick. I mean, he’s an opponent you really don’t have any beef with, in fact, you kind of like him. It certainly doesn’t bring up the sort of fervor that the Marcus Davis fight did.
DH: Yeah, we spent some time in Germany on a press tour. We went out to the Armed Forces bases in Germany to visit the U.S. troops and what not. We spent a couple of days there and it was really great. It was myself, Jon Fitch, and Mike, and we all got along great and had fun. I think the idea was we all really appreciated what we had in the sport and what was expected of us and I don’t think at any point it ever became uncomfortable because we knew at some stage in our career we would be fighting each other. It was just something that we accepted might possibly happen, and it’s a sport, it’s a job. Yeah, Mike’s a good guy but my aim is to be the best in the world and you can’t stand side by side with someone and be the best in the world. There’s only one person in the world that can hold that title and unfortunately, Mike is competition and he is standing in the way of what I want to do with my life. Unfortunately he has decided to position himself in the firing line between myself and the UFC title, and he has to go I’m afraid.
(Examiner.com): Do you think maybe all of this talk about how you don’t hate him and are on good terms with him may want you to take him out even more? You know, to make a statement that you don’t care who it is or how nice they are, you are coming in there to knock someone out.
DH: Oh yeah, I’m definitely going out there to make an example of him and to show people what is to come from me in the future. Whether it be Mike Swick or anybody for that matter, I’m going out there to put on a show and to make the fight as aggressive as possible.
(Examiner.com): Good answer. Now this is your 3rd or 4th consecutive fight in Europe and England to be more specific. Once again it’s live on Spike TV and that carries a lot of pressure. How do you think that will affect you, or is it more of a detriment to your opponent?
DH: Well the pressure is welcome you know? I like it when it’s like this because there is a lot more on the line and less chance of backing down. It’s not in me to back down anyway but when I know there is that much at stake, I just put that little much harder. I mean it’s in everybody , it’s either fight or flight. You either do one of two things--go out there and panic because everyone is watching and you know what you can do but can’t perform or you go, “OK everyone is watching and now it’s time to fight.” And that is exactly how I approach it, the more people that are watching the better I perform.
(Examiner.com): So you look at Swick, now he’s tough on the ground as well as on the feet. Where do you see yourself having the biggest advantage or advantages?
DH: I think, like you said, he is well rounded. I think my biggest advantage is that he doesn’t know what to expect from me. At any point I can choose were the fight will go because I have so much in my arsenal. If I decide to be a Jiu-Jitsu guy I can do that. If I want to be the boxer, I can do that as well. Whereas Swick tends to fight the same way every fight. He’s either going to try and rush me on the feet or take me down and control me on the floor. I’m not concerned about either of those things because I have several different options to counter that with. I welcome him taking me anywhere he thinks he can because I have an answer for everything.
(Examiner.com): And I don’t want to say Mike Swick is the same fighter as before, because he’s not--but if you look at the Josh Burkman fight. I think that shows what a little bit of pressure can do to Mike. I think putting the pressure on Swick is key if you are going to win.
DH: I’d agree with that, I’d agree with that. Especially with a guy that tall and fast you don’t want to give him too much space or too many options. I wasn’t really happy with my last performance and that is going to force me to fight at a faster pace and be more aggressive.
(Examiner.com): What weren’t you happy with in your last fight?
DH: Just the whole thing really. I didn’t feel I was quick enough and I had a few injuries during that training camp. Actually the whole training camp wasn’t very smooth, it could have been a lot better. Looking back I feel like I was at about 60 to 65% of what I could have been. Considering I had a bad night, the performance was OK I guess but I expect a lot more from myself and on November 14th I plan on being the best Dan Hardy that I’ve ever been.
(Examiner.com): Well that’s a good attitude. I mean, after all that’s the only way you can grow as a fighter right?
DH: Absolutely, that’s the only way to improve. You have to be critical of yourself. After a fight, if I’m happy with it, then I really haven’t learned much and there are a lot of things I could improve on after the Marcus Davis fight.
(Examiner.com): And you haven’t exactly had any easy fights since arriving in the UFC. Not that there are any easy fights, but you’ve had Akihiro Gono, Rory Markham, and Marcus Davis. Where do you put Mike Swick on that list?
DH: I’d put him slightly above those other three fighters. He is a different fighter and he bring his own set of problems to deal with. He is definitely going to challenge me in other ways those other guys couldn’t. Also, I think he is more accomplished in his career…in his UFC career I should say, because Gono has had some amazing fights over his career against a hell of a lot of difficult opponents. But over the short term, Mike has accomplished more, and has a more recognizable name that those other guys. He’s definitely a step up and I think I have to keep taking these steps up because it’s the only way to improve. You know, giving yourself more challenges.
(Examiner.com): Well you talk about taking step ups in competition--it’s being marketed that the winner of this fight is getting a shot at GSP. Now, this promise has been made before and for one reason or another the actual title fight never came to fruition. So is that the plan? If you beat Swick do you get GSP?
DH: I don’t know. You know, I’ve heard a lot about it and I’ve been asked a lot of questions about it, but I really don’t know. It’s really not my decision, it’s the UFC’s. They put the heads on the chopping block and I keep taking them off. Whoever’s next is who I focus my attention on, whether it be GSP or someone else.
(Examiner.com): I like that little visual…
DH: (Laughs)
(Examiner.com): So do you think you would be ready for a fight with GSP? If Dana gave you a call and was like, “Hey Dan, I want you to fight on the superbowl weekend card in February.” Do you think that would be doable?
DH: Well I certainly believe I have the tools to beat him. At the end of the day it’s just a matter of getting into training camp and making sure everything that needs to be done, is. You’ll never know until you’re in there but I certainly feel like I have all the skills to give him problems.
(Examiner.com): Well here is what I’ve wanted to personally ask you about for a long time--the Shaolin Monks. How did a lanky kid from Britain get to train with some of the most polarizing figures in the history of Martial Arts. I mean we are talking thousands of years here man. Just talk about how you got there, what happened when you were there, and what you learned.
DH: You know, I get asked about this a lot and I’m actually thinking about writing an article about it with accompanying photographs and stuff. It really was a crazy experience and it’s not something people really expect from me. It’s very different from what other MMA fighters have done in the past as well. The way it came about is, I actually saw a documentary on the Discovery channel about the main Shaolin temple in central China. At the time I was just so into Kung-Fu and the old martial arts movies like, ‘36 Chambers’ and other stuff you know what I mean? I did a lot of research and I found out I wouldn’t be able to go to the main temple in central China because I wasn’t Chinese. So I looked around and managed to find a place that had taken a few monks and opened a temple in northern China where foreign students could come over and train at. So I contacted them and arranged to go over there and train for a couple of months. It was just the craziest and most awesome experience I’ve ever had really--obviously aside from the UFC success. Because it was just crazy, it was like watching a movie you know? Almost to the effect that it was like a movie that I watched and I remember in such crazy detail for it to NOT be a part of my life, do you know what I mean?
(Examiner.com): Oh yeah.
DH: So yeah, I spent a couple of months there and it was just…it was…the first couple of weeks were just really tough. It was the first time I traveled on my own and to be that far away from everything you’ve known was just a real shock to the system and on top of that you have 12 hour training days, 6 days a week. It really just breaks you down physically, and then once that is done you have to struggle with the mental breakdown, and I struggled with that for the first couple of weeks. You know I really didn’t enjoy it and I wanted to leave to be honest. I had long hair when I got there and they shaved it off, and it was just a lot of things changing. I really threw myself into the deep end. After a couple of weeks though, I met a couple of friends and I kind of found my rhythm a little bit and it was just awesome. I met some really good people and I learned a lot of stuff about Kung-Fu and all the philosophies that come with it. More importantly though, I learned a lot about myself and what I could accomplish if I really wanted to and the boundaries of my abilities. I mean I’ve always been pretty tough mentally but when I got there and I woke up on a Wednesday and Thursday and couldn’t bend my legs because my muscles were too tight and sore, and I really had no energy. Then I had to push through 10 more hours of training and then I kind of realized I was more mentally tough than I was giving myself credit for. And I think a lot of that has carried over to my training in MMA--that I’ve got such good work ethic and a lot of self confidence. Because I know that my boundaries are so distant and I have so much to learn.
(Examiner.com): What was your moment? Your breaking moment if you will? Was there one specific event?
DH: That 1st week was a real tough one because I just got there and didn’t know anyone and they had no electricity…it was actually in a castle. It was a temple inside of a castle. So there was no electricity in the whole place and maybe two showers for fifty people. There were rats in the windows and rats in my bed when I slept at night. I just went from comfortable living in England, with central heating and TV, to being in the middle of northern China right by the Mongolian desert, with nothing that I was used to, on top of a mountain, totally out of my element. I mean, we started training at 5 in the morning and if we weren’t up by 5 the monks would come and wake you up…with a stick. That was quite a shock at the time. Then we started the day with a walk, which was all the way down a hill and then back up---something like 460 steps I think, and that was an everyday thing. I mean I was new to it, I thought, “OK, up to the top of steps and then on to Tai Chi and Qigong.” And as we got to the top, my teacher was waiting at the top of the steps for me and I wasn’t really sure why he was there. For the next hour he had us going back up and down the steps. And when your legs gave out, you used your hands and…it was just very, very difficult. After that session, your training would continue until about 8:30 at night and after that I really had just nothing left. It was just a matter of pushing through it because you had no other option, you know what I’m saying? It was either do it or go home, and there was no way I was going to quit. I had set 2 months in my mind and that is what I was going to do. There were just a few times that the physical pain was something I never thought I would experience.
(Examiner.com): Wow, I’m really just blown away. I mean, this was 2002 and you were 18 or 19--hell were are the same age! That’s just insane. I am a firm believer that everything happens for a reason and just from talking to you I can see you have a ton of self determination--so that had to feel pretty good for you when you walked out of that place, accomplishing what you did? It’s safe to say you were a changed man?
DH: Oh without a doubt, yeah. I was a completely different person. If I took those 2 months out of my life, the Dan Hardy that is here today would be a totally different person. First off, I wouldn’t be here talking to you. I wouldn’t be fighting in the UFC. I wouldn’t have traveled as much as I have. I would just have a regular job and be a regular guy drinking every weekend or something. Those few months really helped me focus and recognize just exactly what my existence was. And the years that I have left on this earth, I want to make the most out of them. If anything, that is what I took away from that experience, and to me that is just invaluable and I wouldn’t trade that for the world.
(Examiner.com): Well before we talked I read about this whole thing but I didn’t know the extent. It really is amazing to hear, just to the extent, that this event had on your life.
DH: Yeah, you know it was only a couple of months in my life but it felt like a lifetime. So many lessons learned and so many things gained from it and it was probably the two most important months of my life up until this point.
(Examiner.com): Well Dan, that wraps it up bro. I sincerely want to thank you for taking the time man and I wish you the best on the 14th and in life.
DH: No problem mate, and thank you.
Related Articles:
Add a Comment
