Despite agreed-upon terms for a boxing bout in March, Dan Hardy says fellow UFC veteran Tyron Woodley and his camp are “dragging their feet” on finalizing the fight. Giving him the impression that “The Chosen One” could be instead be trying to land a spot on the Dec. Jake Paul vs Tommy Fury pay-per-view undercard.
At the end of October came the revelation that former UFC welterweight title challenger Hardy, and one-time division king Woodley had come to terms on a boxing matchup that would take place in the UK early next year. However, there was a problem. “The Outlaw” signed the contract but his opponent seemed to be stalling. In an interview with Australian podcast Submission Radio, the 39-year-old Brit aired his frustrations over the delay in making the bout official.
“I will say this, my contract is signed. And I know that he has a contract sitting in front of him, and the deadline is approaching, and he doesn’t want to sign it. and I don’t know why. I don’t know what the deal is because terms have been agreed. Money has been agreed. The date has been agreed. Rules, conditions, weight-class, everything’s been agreed. But he hasn’t yet signed the contract. So you tell me? Tyron Woodley, why have you not signed it,” Hardy said.
Dan Hardy says Tyron Woodley could land on Paul vs Fury undercard instead of fight him
After his public disclosure, MixedMartialArts.com reached out to Hardy about if the situation had changed and the fight was finalized. Unfortunately, “T-Wood” still has not signed the deal and Hardy believes representatives from Paul’s camp have offered Woodley a chance to compete on the undercard of the upcoming event Paul will headline against Tommy Fury.
“The Woodley camp are still dragging their feet. I think Jake Paul’s manager has offered him some bum on the Paul vs Fury undercard, and that’s what has slowed things down. I know the promoter [for the March fight] went back to him with a new offer, but he’s still being a b*tch about it. No surprises there,” Hardy told MixedMartialArts.com.
Hardy eyes possible matchup with Anderson Silva and ONE Championship bookings after March return
The difficulty in getting the booking across the finish line has been all the more infuriating for Hardy because he has some lofty goals for his return to combat sports, after nearly a decade away. That could include bouts in boxing, kickboxing, and maybe even an eventual homecoming to MMA. A matchup with Woodley at a higher weight than he competed at in the Octagon serves several purposes. It gets his feet wet again in high-level competition, but it could also be a springboard to an even greater goal. That being a boxing matchup with UFC legend turned boxer Anderson Silva.
“I have other offers I’m considering, but the Woodley fight is at a heavier weight so it makes sense to do that one first. If he doesn’t want it I will likely box someone else on the same show in March, and then see what my options are. I wouldn’t mind sharing the ring with Anderson but would need a fight or two first, and Woodley would have been a good warm-up,” said Hardy.
Hardy’s career was curtailed in 2013 when he was removed from a planned bout with Matt Brown after being diagnosed with Wolff-Parkinson-White Syndrome in a pre-fight medical exam. The Mayo Clinic defines the condition as “a syndrome in which an extra electrical pathway in the heart causes a rapid heartbeat.” Hardy has had several tests since the diagnosis, and the most recent set has cleared him to return to action with no restrictions.
Meaning long-rumored fights for ONE Championship could be on the horizon, as well as some other interesting options the British star revealed.
“All of the tests went well. I have no issues competing, and no anomalous pathways were found in my heart. … ONE Championship has my test results, so we can continue our conversation around the [John Wayne] Parr and [Nieky] Holzken fights,” he says. “I’ve also been speaking to a big kickboxing promotion, and they’ve put a really interesting name in front of me, but same as Anderson, I’d need a couple before that, and it’s at a lower weight.”
MixedMartialArts.com reached out to Woodley’s camp for comment on if the fight with Hardy had been finalized. However, they declined to comment at this time.
Join the discussion on this topic…