Veronica Hardy has a UFC Austin showdown coming up with Jamey-Lyn Horth, and she feels things have been coming together quite nicely ahead of fight night.
Veronica and husband Dan Hardy were gracious in meeting with Middle Easy’s Mike Owens ahead of the 52nd UFC on ESPN card. A slew of topics were discussed, such as a big change Veronica has made to her fight preparation over time, the mindset Dan has helped get Veronica into for the Horth fight, and Dan’s reaction to Francis Ngannou’s incredible performance against Tyson Fury.
Veronica Hardy Reveals Key Improvement In Fight Preparation
During the interview with Owens, Veronica Hardy revealed that while she revved up the activity level early on in her career, taking fights at a rapid rate, she feels there wasn’t much being accomplished until she slowed things down.
“Activity’s great, but I think being prepared for a fight is a lot more important and that’s the difference that I feel now,” Veronica said. “In the beginning of my career I had six fights in six months. Activity wasn’t an issue for me. Obviously, I had injuries and other things, but I didn’t really feel like I was properly prepared for any of it.”
Now that Veronica has given herself the time to fully prepare for fights without rushing things, Dan Hardy believes it has given her the opportunity to settle down and pick the right spots to finish her fights.
“She’s just got to keep things super simple,” Dan said. “The thing with Veronica and the thing I identified really early on, even before she moved in with me and we started training together, she’s got so many options for finishing the fight.”
Dan went on to say that Veronica’s punching power hasn’t been on display yet, but she’s been compared to 155-pounders. Dan believes that Veronica can find finishing opportunities if she makes good decisions early on.
When it comes to the Jamey-Lyn Horth fight, Dan says undefeated confidence can be a dangerous game. He also wonders how Horth will adapt returning to the flyweight division.
“The thing is with Jamie, she’s big, she’s strong, she’s coming down a weight class, she’s not made this weight in a couple of years,” Dan said.
Dan Hardy Reacts to Francis Ngannou’s Performance Against Tyson Fury
Dan Hardy attended the huge Ngannou vs. Fury boxing showdown in Saudi Arabia and even served as an analyst. He couldn’t help but gush over the experience, and he admitted that he was stunned by how well Ngannou performed.
“Even I was surprised, honestly,” Dan said. “Of course, all the way through fight week in the buildup and everything I kept reinforcing the ‘What if?’ The reason why we’re watching this is the ‘What if Ngannou lands,’ right? But, I was still picking Fury … Francis impressed me tremendously.”
Veronica’s Ultimate Goal For UFC Austin
Don’t let their calm personalities fool you, Dan and Veronica Hardy mean business going into UFC Austin. Dan made it clear that the mindset of Veronica going into the Horth fight isn’t one for the faint of heart.
“We’re here for murder,” Dan said. “We’re here to do damage to people as much as we can.”
Here is Middle Easy’s full interview with Veronica Hardy and Dan Hardy:
