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Dan Hardy Maintains Stance On Sean Strickland's 'Untidy' Style Post-UFC 293: 'Lots Of Holes Izzy Should've Capitalized On'

Originally posted on MMA News | By Harvey Leonard | Last updated 9/12/23

In a statement not many would have been expecting to say or write leading into UFC 293, Sean Strickland is now the middleweight champion.

"Tarzan" accomplished that feat in the main event of the September 9 pay-per-view Down Under, outpointing Oceania's own Israel Adesanya across five rounds inside Sydney's Qudos Bank Arena.

The result marked one of the promotion's all-time greatest upsets, with few giving Strickland a chance of having his hand raised in Australia beforehand. That group included former UFC title challenger Dan Hardy.

"The Outlaw," who fell short of an underdog triumph against Georges St-Pierre back in 2010, gave a brutally honest assessment of Strickland's style ahead of last Saturday's numbered card. During it, he even compared Strickland's refusal to engage in traditional martial arts techniques to Tank Abbott.

And despite the American out-striking one of the best in that realm, his view remains the same.

Hardy Wouldn't 'Recommend' Strickland's Style To Newcomers

During a post-event live stream on his YouTube channel, Hardy reflected on the events that unfolded at UFC 293 and the sizable upset that took place in the card-topping championship bout.

Although he gave Strickland props for forging a victory over Adesanya, he insisted that "The Last Stylebender" would get the better of the new champ on most occasions — and should have on September 9.

"Look, I'm not gonna recommend that fighters watch him to learn something from his style," Hardy said. "I still do think his style is untidy and I still think there are lots of holes in it Izzy should've capitalized on... Just because it's working, doesn't mean it's perfect. Something that's working can still have issues with it. It can still be made better. There are definitely lots of things about Sean's style that can be improved on.

"I think there are a lot of reasons why we're here in this alternate parallel universe where Sean Strickland is the best middleweight on the planet," Hardy continued. "Pressure is a thing, intention is a thing, confidence in range and being present is a thing... I still feel like if they fought 10 times, Izzy would probably win eight of them... There's so many things Sean Strickland has just disregarded about his game, about MMA... What I like about him is he's just kind of there, in the moment."

Nevertheless, unique or insufficient style, Strickland's approach inside the Qudos Bank Arena has still marked UFC 293 as the event that staged one of the most shocking results in the organization's history.