A report surfaced last week revealing that former Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) welterweight contender Dan Hardy was released from his role as commentator for the promotion after he was involved in an incident with a UFC employee while at “Ilha da Luta” earlier this year.
A week after the dust settled, “The Outlaw” issued a statement about the incident and his dismissal from the company.
“I apologize for my silence about the current situation. I’m still looking for answers in private and it’s taking a while. That’s what I can say, right now. It was a verbal disagreement between me and a member of the UFC team. It was straightforward, but not aggressive and specific to the job, ”wrote Hardy on his website.
“I apologized to the individual for the embarrassment he must have felt, as a small handful of our colleagues in the British media were present. We were taking a brief break from recording content for UFC 258, just hours after the Holloway Kattar event ended, when the disagreement occurred. The conversation could certainly have taken place in a better place and in better circumstances, ”he added before saying that, although he left the UFC, he is still an employee of BT Sport.
“BT Sport did not fire me and is still interested in working with me in some way. I appreciate their interest in an ongoing collaboration. Thank you all for your support in the comments on your accounts. They are paying attention and making efforts, although there is pressure to expel me completely. “
Hardy also said that his team of journalists, Full Reptile, also had their credentials revoked for UFC 259 last weekend in Las Vegas, Nevada. That said, “The Outlaw” hopes to one day reconcile with the UFC and Dana White, with whom he says he has not yet talked about the incident.
“The Raptors were quarantined for three weeks to participate in UFC 259, but their credentials were revoked, so we are diversifying our content a little, and we thank their subscribers and support.
“It has been suggested that a reconciliation between me and the UFC is possible and, of course, I hope that is the case. I have yet to speak or listen to Dana and gain a better understanding of her perspective on the situation. “
According to Hardy, an investigation into the matter launched by the UFC left him with more questions than answers.
“The result of his brief and private investigation left me with little closure and I hope that at some point I will be able to get more information about what I was really accused of,” he added.
“I am always a fan of the UFC, and dedicated to MMA service. I appreciate all your kind words and support, both privately and publicly, and I have many interesting offers to consider. “
If you remember, White was not very happy with Hardy’s confrontation with Herb Dean after the longtime referee took a long time to prevent Francisco Trinaldo’s defeat against Jai Herbert at UFC Fight Island 3 in July 2020.
White went so far as to say that if Hardy or anyone else did something like that again, they would no longer work with the company.