UFC 89 is set to air free on SPIKE TV on October 18th out of Birmingham, England. It was pretty common knowledge that Hardy would be appearing in this card and making his UFC debut. The rumors swirled as to who his opponent would be. Many said it would be Mike Swick, but he denied those rumors and reportedly just underwent surgery. Hardy’s opponent will be Akihiro Gono. Gono recently pulled out of a UFC 82 fight with number one contender Jon Fitch due to injury. Gono vs. Hardy should be a good fight. Here is what Dan Hardy had to say:
I’m excited to be fighting such a tough, well-respected fighter for my debut as Gono,” Hardy said. “It shows that the UFC knows I am capable of dealing with the top-tier guys, and I am very grateful for the opportunity to go in at this kind of level. Gono has been in there with some of the best fighters in the world and always put on a good show, he comes to fight and has very good counter-strikes and some interesting submissions. He is a perfect opponent for me to prove my place in the UFC welterweight division and give the fans a great show. Fighting so close to home will be good because all of the people that have supported me through my career will be able to be there for my debut in the UFC.
This is a great weltwerweight match that should indicate where these guys fit into this divison. Most people have thought that an injury free Gono can be near the top of the divison.
Filed under: Akihiro Gono, Dan Hardy, UFC 89: Bisping vs. Leben | Tagged: Akihiro Gono, Dan Hardy, UFC 89: Bisping vs. Leben
