UFC 254: 'I think we've established a new fight capital of the world' - analyst Dan Hardy on how Abu Dhabi has impressed as the ultimate host

Fighters Soak Up Island Life Ahead of UFC 254 Showdown

Jared Cannonier, whose middleweight bout against Robert Whittaker is the co-main event of UFC 254

Jared Cannonier, prepares for his middleweight bout against Robert Whittaker. Courtesy UFC

Lauren Murphy Fighters Soak Up Island Life Ahead of UFC 254 Showdown

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Dan Hardy is a former UFC welterweight and now a much-respected analyst and colour commentator. He is currently on Fight Island in his present role, as the promotion's second Abu Dhabi residency concludes this weekend with the blockbuster UFC 254.

You've been there, seen it, done it as a fighter and broadcaster. What is it about Fight Island that makes it so special?

“I think what it is, there are so many martial arts movies that have been like a Fight Island. Mortal Kombat, The Quest by Jean-Claude Van Damme, obviously Enter the Dragon, the main one. The idea of going to an island to have a martial arts tournament, for me, it's the stuff that legend is made of for martial arts.

“And I think all the fighters are feeling that: the anticipation of travelling over, of being in a bubble where nothing else is going on aside from the UFC. That gives me butterflies to think about it; I couldn't wait to get out here. And then the second time around, now I know what to expect. Now I know what the fights are on the card: it gets an extra five or 10 per cent out of these guys. I genuinely believe that.

“I really think it's bringing the best out of these guys. Everybody watched the last Fight Island. Everybody was sitting there at home thinking, ‘Oh, I want to be a part of this. I want to be a part of this’. And the guys that are out here now, not only are they privileged to be fighting in the octagon for the UFC, but they're also privileged to be a part of an event that is so special.”

Does it make you want to get back in octagon?

“Hundred per cent. You'll see me octagon-side during the fights. I can barely hold still. I'm up on my feet. I'm moving around. I'm shadowboxing. Yeah, absolutely. And the other thing as well is that it is such an intimate environment in there. There is nothing else going on. There's no crowd there. There's no nothing. It's such a closed event that there aren’t any additional things to think about. You show up, you walk into your dressing room, you get your warm-up and preparation done, your hands wrapped. And then you walk to the octagon and there is no exterior, nothing to draw your focus from your fight.”

Everyone talks about the legacy an event leaves behind. What do you think something like this leaves for Abu Dhabi and mixed martial arts in this region?

“I certainly think we've established a new fight capital of the world. It was what Vegas was being talked about over and over again; it has been for a long time. But obviously, in the current climate we have to adapt, and the UFC have done such a good job of creating this space and really pioneering live sports in the pandemic. So I feel like Abu Dhabi has kind of established itself, it's opened itself up to being the new fight capital of the world. And that we've got a Fight Island, it is such a special thing, isn't it? It's amazing. What Abu Dhabi has been able to do in putting this together, and now we've got the new [Etihad Arena] coming soon as well, which is going to be even better because it's built specifically for this kind of circumstance, I just think it's going to get better and better.”

We had the first ever women's main event in the in the region earlier this month, with Holly Holm against Irene Aldana. Fight Island keeps making history.

"We're fortunate to be a part of mixed martial arts at this time. Because what's the sport, 25 years old? We're seeing new ground being broken all the time. And we're also seeing fighters taking on opportunities, like Holly Holm and Germaine de Randamie, they both shined. We had a female main event headlining the card, and in the Middle East, which is groundbreaking. And then to go from the Khabib Nurmagomedov-Dustin Poirier fight [in September 2019], which was a huge arena and what an experience that was, then now we're going to have an arena with very few people in there with a very high-profile fight as well. We just ride with the tide, we go with the ebb and flow of what's put in front of us. But one thing that never stops is the martial arts."

Why do you think the UFC and mixed martial arts is so popular now in this region?

“I think naturally, as human beings, we gravitate towards combat, and then we gravitate towards fight sports, because there's something in our DNA that it speaks to. I was asked the question a little while ago: if you're a new fan of watching the sport of mixed martial arts, what should you watch and who should you root for? And I basically said that we're looking for a tribal leader. And then when we're watching two guys fighting, we're trying to decide who we would follow into battle. That's how I score the fights. ‘Which one of these guys would I stand on the frontline with if I needed to?’ And I think that's something that's so far back in our history, that it's internationalist, worldwide.

“There are some places you'll go in the world where they're not really bothered about football, and there are some places you'll go in the world and they absolutely love cricket. And everywhere, there's people that love fighting, and this is pure. This goes back to the Olympic Games and the Greek and Roman times. All sport is preparation for war; every single sport out there in some way has been preparation for war. You look at athletics, and it's pretty much it: javelin, throwing, running. It's like when war isn't there for us to be a part of we have other things to go in arms - and martial arts is as close as you can get to that.”

What's your advice for any kids watching at home or watching the UFC on a Saturday night? If they want to get into it, why? Why did you?

“For me, I started martial arts before MMA was the thing. I started with Taekwondo because I love Taekwondo. I started it because I loved the Ninja Turtles, because I love Bruce Lee. So MMA developed as I was growing up as well. If you're a young kid now and you're watching this, you can go into an MMA gym and work with guys that have already stepped into the octagon, have already got that experience. So you don't learn all the additional fluff that I had to learn. That's the first thing: the path to the UFC and the process that you have to go through to prepare yourself is much quicker now. And who would not want to be a part of this and get on those martial arts films? Bloodsport; The Quest.

“But Enter the Dragon was the one that spoke to me as a martial artist because of the philosophy in it as well. I had an old TV in my bedroom with a video player and that tape would stay in there all the time. And when I was getting ready for school in the morning, I would just hit play on it and I would consume a little bit of it and then go to school. I’d probably watch that movie two, three times a week, just on repeat over and over again, to the point where the philosophy kind of seeps into my DNA.

“It's a special time to be a part of martial arts, and with live sport around the world being affected, the fact that we're able to continue doing what we love to do, and to continue following the sport… we've got [UFC president] Dana [White] and UFC to thank for that.”