That's because in 53 professional fights, it's yet to be "Lights Out" for the Indiana firefighter, whose two technical knockout (TKO) losses have come by way of cuts.
"The Outlaw" challenges Lytle this Sunday night (Aug. 14) at the Bradley Center in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, in what could be the final fight of the British banger's UFC career.
Hardy was once perched atop the promotion's 170-pound summit after stringing together four straight wins inside the Octagon. He was quickly sent tumbling down the mountainside by division champion Georges St. Pierre in their UFC 111 title fight just over a year ago.
A surprise knockout loss to Carlos Condit would follow at UFC 120 last October and Anthony Johnson continued the downward spiral by taking the slugger down and controlling him for the better part of three rounds at UFC Fight Night 24 back in March.
But as Hardy explains to Fight Hub TV, all that can be forgotten with one punch.
"My goal is to be the first person to knock Chris out. I’m not sure when it will come or how it will come, but I have a lot of options, a lot of techniques that would get him out of there before the final bell. Chris is an exciting fighter, and he always brings the fight. I’m sure this fight won’t be any different. I’m always fine with trading punches until someone falls over. I like my odds in that gamble. All I know is that the fight will be a war while it lasts, and my hand will be raised at the end.""Lights Out" saw his four-fight win streak come to an end against Brian Ebersole at UFC 127 last February in Sydney, Australia. It was a shocking loss for the resurgent former pro boxer who was on the verge of breaking into the ranks of contendership before being thwarted "Down Under."
While his career clock may be ticking, he's certainly going to make the most of the remaining fights on his contract, and what better way to do that than by entertaining fans with a three round slugfest?
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