Harry Hardwick signs with UFC, set for September 6th debut in Paris

Cage Warriors featherweight champion Harry Hardwick (13-3-1) has been signed by the UFC and will make his debut on Saturday, according to the promotion.

Hardwick replaces Ziam in Paris

First reported by Al Zullino on Tuesday morning, Hardwick will take on Kauê  Fernandes (10-2) in a lightweight bout on the preliminary card of UFC Paris. Fernandes was left without an opponent after Fares Ziam (15-4), the French native originally scheduled to fight him, withdrew from the contest due to the death of his grandmother.

In turn, Middlesborough’s Hardwick was tapped to replace Ziam and make his UFC debut with less than a week’s notice. This was officially announced via UFC.com.

Before the UFC

Hardwick has gone unbeaten since a 2020 decision loss to Richie Smullen (15-3-1), racking up eight wins and one draw in that time. In May 2024, Harry followed in the footsteps of his brother George (13-3) by becoming a Cage Warriors champion, defeating Orlando Wilson Prins (5-4) by TKO to become the European promotion’s 145lb titleholder. He followed this up with two successful title defenses against Keweny Lopes (12-3-1) in November of the same year and Javier Garcia (13-6) in March 2025, respectively.

‘Houdini’ boasts seven finishes in thirteen career wins, made up of three KO/TKOs and four submissions. He trains with Middlesborough Fight Academy under head coach Abdul Mohamed, a former professional who retired with a record of 19-8-3.

Typically a featherweight, this will be Hardwick’s first fight at lightweight, ten pounds up from his usual home of 145lbs.

Harry, the older of the Hardwick brothers, will be the first of the sibling duo to fight inside the Octagon. George competed on season 7 of Dana White’s Contender Series in 2023, losing to Abdul-Kareem Al-Selwady (15-4) and failing to secure a UFC contract.

Hardwick’s opponent Fernandes has rebounded from a loss to Marc Diakiese in his promotional debut by picking up two straight wins: a stoppage of Mohammad Yahya (12-6) and a decision win over Guram Kutateladze (13-5). He brings a 70% finish rate into the bout with Hardwick.

Three other former Cage Warriors champions will feature on the card, including Wales’ Mason Jones (16-2), Northern Ireland’s Rhys McKee (14-6-1) and Lithuanian-Brit Modestas Bukauskas (18-6).

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