411's UFC Primetime: GSP vs Hardy Report 3.17.10
Posted by Daniel Bonnizzio on 03.17.2010
The training intensifies for both fighters as the countdown continues
Primetime opens up with a short review of the first episode, from GSP's continued determination to be the champion, and Hardy continues to be the underdog. The opening segment closes with Hardy – again – walking up to Serra's gym.
So Hardy's first night in New York is spent in a Hooter's? Awesome. He's getting to know the culture as he gets to know the locals, including the hula-hooping Hotter's girls. Apparently, they are showing some UFC fights that night as the restaurant cheers for him when he comes on TV.
Serra starts talking about Hardy, saying how he sees that Hardy's a guy who could use the help he can offer. As they go through some sparring, Serra and Hardy talk about how Serra's been at the top of the card more than a few times and how he can help Hardy this time around.
Serra's talking about how the only way GSP is going to win is if he takes Hardy down and submits him because, in his opinion, Hardy's striking is FAR superior to GSP's. To help this, Serra is helping Hardy out with his grappling while at his academy. Serra comments on how not many people are giving Hardy a chance, and that he knows what it's like being the huge underdog and how good it feels to show them up when you win.
After leaving Serra's gym, Hardy goes to hit the weights with Joe DeFranco. Hardy notes that GSP is very athletic but Dan's no slouch either. DeFranco talks about how this weight training is going to help Hardy's already impressive KO power. Hey cut to a short clip of a straight vertical jump and it's impressive. Since when is a vertical jump the best measure of physical ability?
! ~ COMMERCIAL ~ !
Cut back to GSP's head trainer – Firas Zahabi – awake and working at 10 in the morning. He talks about how the most important thing in training is to be specific in your training and to work above and beyond what you could expect. Zahabi mentions being around the same age as GSP and how that helps them go beyond coach-athlete and be more like family which is important for them.
GSP starts on about how he met with Zahabi after the loss to Matt Serra and how Firas turned his career around from a period when he trusted no one in his training. He decided that, after all these fights, it was the single smartest thing he could.
Speaking of Serra, GSP has found out that Hardy is training with Serra and says it's not going to affect him at all. He can't control Hardy's actions and so he doesn't stress over them; instead he just looks at fights as a math problem where he can load up hi side with as much as he can to help.
As they walk into the TriStar gym, two other famed UFC fighters walk in to help GSP out in his final training times. Kenny Florian and Nate Marqaurdt come in to help; Nate has the ability to really push GSP in all areas with his size and pace, whereas Kenny can test GSP's speed and movement. Zahabi thanks the guys for coming out because they are the best and to be the best you have to train with the best of the best.
Nate talks about the point when Hardy finally realizes that he doesn't belong in the cage with GSP, and when that point comes around the fight is going to turn and GSP is going to take over. GSP says that the reason he trains with so many people is so he can train like he's fighting an army, and if he can fight an army one man will not break him.
! ~ COMMERCIAL ~ !
Early morning in New York for Dan Hardy as he describes how the sheer importance of the upcoming fight is giving him so much energy. A great little photoshoot of him displaying different variants of the Union Jack follows as he talks about being a little cocky. He goes on the radio of Sirius XM Fight Club as they talk about how UFC 111 is officially sold out, and that it will end up being the highest gate for the venue ever.
The host for the show gets into Hardy's past training, including his time training with monks in Beijing. After he talks about his time in China, they show a short home video of Hardy out in Beijing, talking about how he slept on wooden slats, had no glass in the windows, and had no heating; he says the biggest advantage it gave him was mental training because he was able to get past limits he thought he had placed on himself.
Hardy mentions that GSP has been referring to him as "not a martial artist," and that GSP is wrong. He says he just likes to go out there and brawl, but he's been practicing martial arts his whole life and that GSP is no more a martial artist than he is.
! ~ COMMERCIAL ~ !
It's nighttime in Canada as we join GSP in his home with Firas as they watch tapes on Hardy. He compares his training methods to those of the samurai: constantly training everyday to find a flaw and try to remove that flaw.
They move back to the TriStar gym where they will be doing a high-intensity workout which consists of five full rounds of full contact to simulate a real title fight, to test whether or not the training they have been doing up to that point is effective. To help with this test, GSP's team has brought in Patrick Cote as a way to try and mimic Dan Hardy's style – a strong boxer with counterpunching tendencies.
Firas mentions that this is Hardy's first ever title fight, but this is title fight number nine for Georges and that's going to be his advantage.
The show closes out with a sweet montage intermixing the two training camps, highlighting the difference in GSP's camp – a group of famed fighters going full-contact with each other – and Hardy's camp – Dan sparring alone with his coach, strength training in solitude.
! ~ END SHOW ~ !
This episode was fantastic, honestly. They are really pushing hard to make the people believe that Hardy is a legit contender, and frankly even I am starting to buy it. I cannot wait for the final episode to broadcast.
Join us next week for another recap of UFC Primetime, and don't forget to follow us on Twitter!
