Just to clear a few things up… https://t.co/xxHKs7x7Ai pic.twitter.com/jAq7HGw8e5
— Dan Hardy (@danhardymma)
March 10, 2021
Former
Ultimate Fighting Championship title challenger Dan Hardy has
put out a statement to dispel rumors about his dispute with the
organization.
On Wednesday, Hardy released a statement from his personal Full
Reptile webpage, where he explained what happened between him
and the unnamed UFC staffer he allegedly argued with. The rumors
swirled in recent days, which emanated from Dave Meltzer’s
Wrestling Observer Newsletter, stating that Hardy had been let go
from the UFC due to an “incident” with a female employee while
covering an event on Yas Island in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
Hardy then disputed
a report from BJPenn.com about the alleged altercation, while
stating that he is no longer working with the UFC and that the
gender of the staff member involved was not relevant.
In his statement, Hardy discussed that the verbal dispute to which
he was involved was not hostile and only related to work. As a
result, he has been relieved of his obligations with the UFC, which
has included color commentary, desk analysis and various analytical
shows for the organization. Hardy first called UFC Fight Night 37
in 2014 in London, and he was involved in the commentary of 44 UFC
events through the years. Unless his duties are returned to him,
his final show in the commentary booth was UFC on ABC 1 in January,
with all 44 taking place outside of the U.S. He still will work
with broadcast partner BT Sport in some capacity.
“The Outlaw” previously faced scrutiny from the Las Vegas-based
promotion at UFC on ESPN 14 in 2020, when he
interacted with referee Herb Dean after
the bout between Francisco
Trinaldo and Jai
Herbert. Believing the stoppage was late and Dean had erred in
his judgment, Hardy got out of his seat to shout at Dean and
criticize the call. He later had to explain himself, and Dean
issued a rare statement of his own discussing why his choice was
not improper and that Hardy should not have lashed out. The UFC did
not punish Hardy for his actions, but sternly warned the former
welterweight contender about handling future situations like
this.
It is unclear at the moment whether Hardy has been released from
his separate fighter contract with the league, as he has often
flirted with returning to competition. The Brit retired in 2013
after his diagnosis with Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome, a heart
problem that forced him out of competition. Through the years,
Hardy has explained that he has since been medically cleared to
compete, and that he even re-entered the USADA testing pool. “The
Outlaw” has called out many fighters in recent memory, including
Diego
Sanchez.
Hardy’s statement
reads in full below:
”Apologies for my silence on this current situation. I’m still
chasing answers privately, and it’s taking some time. This is what
I can say, at this point.
“It was a verbal disagreement between myself and a member of the
UFC staff. It was forthright but not aggressive, and specific to
work.
“I have apologized to the individual, for the embarrassment they
must have felt, as a small handful of our colleagues from the
British media were present. We were taking a brief break from
recording UFC 258 content, a few hours after the Holloway Kattar
event had concluded, when the disagreement occurred. The
conversation could have definitely taken place in a better
location, and under better circumstances.
“BT Sport have not fired me, and are still keen on working with me
in some capacity. I’m appreciative of their interest in a continued
collaboration. Thank you all for the support in the comments across
their accounts. They are paying attention and making efforts,
although there is pressure to push me out entirely.
“The Raptors were quarantined for three weeks in order to attend
UFC 259, but had their credentials revoked, so we’re diversifying
our content a little, and appreciate your subs and support.
“It has been suggested that a reconciliation between myself and the
UFC is possible, and of course, I hope that is the case. I have yet
to speak to, or hear from Dana, and get a better understanding of
his perspective on the situation.
“The result of their brief and private investigation has left me
with little closure, and hope that at some point I’m able to get
more information of what I’ve actually been accused.
“I’m forever a fan of the UFC, and dedicated in service of MMA. I
appreciate all of your kind words and support, both privately and
publicly, and have lots of exciting offers to consider.
“With respect and gratitude, The Outlaw”