Dan Hardy released a statement to clarify his job status with the UFC and UK broadcaster BT Sport after reports said he was no longer working with either.
Hardy, who challenged Georges St-Pierre for the UFC welterweight title in 2010, confirmed that he is no longer working with the UFC, though he says there’s a chance of “reconciliation between [him] and the UFC” in the future.
As for BT Sport, the UFC’s UK broadcast partner, Hardy said he was not fired by the company and that they were finding ways to work together in a different capacity.
The news was first reported on The Wrestling Observer’s newsletter, which stated that Hardy had been let go by both BT Sport and the UFC following a disagreement with a female UFC employee during the most recent Fight Island run in January. That same report also said Hardy was still a contracted UFC fighter.
Hardy confirmed elements of the news but contested many details on social media afterward.
While Hardy is still looking for certain answers about this situation himself, his statement clears up the few details he can at this stage.
“Apologies for my silence on this current situation,” Hardy’s statement begins. “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.”
Hardy goes on to say the team from his “Full Reptile” YouTube channel were denied media credentials at UFC 259 last weekend. You can read his full statement here.
“The Outlaw” shot to stardom in his UFC run between 2008 and 2012. The Nottingham native compiled a record of 6-4 inside the Octagon, one of those fights being the aforementioned title fight with St-Pierre, before being diagnosed with Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome – a heart condition – in 2013.
Hardy has campaigned for one last fight ever since and has targeted 2021 as that year. However, in the meantime, Hardy became a widely respected member of the UFC’s team of analysts and commentators through his passion and knowledge of the sport.