• UFC 120

Dan Hardy responds to Mike Bisping's British jibe

Dan Hardy has cleared up a recent public spat with Michael Bisping, insisting his compatriot is a 'very misunderstood' man.

Bisping created headlines recently when he seemingly aimed a swipe at Hardy, suggesting The Outlaw had turned his back on British MMA. Hardy spends large amounts of time living in America, where he has been improving his wrestling since suffering defeat to Georges St-Pierre.

In a recent interview Bisping commented: "I've been a proud ambassador of UK MMA. I've worked hard and I've helped grow the sport to where it is. I haven't disappeared off to America, like some Mohican wearing people, and lived there and trained there, but then come back here and pretended I'm English."

With both Britons set to headline UFC 120, the potential for a high profile fallout seemed on the cards, but Hardy insists there is a long-standing understanding between the pair.

"Bisping and I go back a long way, we've always been at each other, we've always been ripping each other, it's just part of how it is," Hardy told ESPN.

"Plus we've got the media at our disposal as well, so now we can have a jab at each other on a national scale. Mike text me as soon as it came out, saying 'I've been misunderstood, don't take it the wrong way'.

"He's very misunderstood!"

Bisping takes on Yoshihiro Akiyama in the main event on October 16, representing one of the stiffest challenges of the Brit's career against the highly talented judo practitioner. Akiyama came as close as anybody to becoming only the second man to knock out Chris Leben in his last fight, but Hardy insists it is simply unthinkable for Bisping to lose in front of his home crowd.

"I think it's a tough fight. Akiyama came up against a Chris Leben who was on a roll, looking good and in shape already, and Akiyama wasn't able to show his best.

"It was still a great fight. I was there live and it was one of the best fights I've seen.

"He's a very tough fight for Mike, but having said that I'm very confident Mike will get the job done. There's no way somebody is going to come to London and put a beating on Mike in the main event.

"I'm confident in all my British team-mates. Mike will get the job done, John Hathaway's looking awesome. Fighting in London, all the Brits are going to bring their best.

"Nobody wants to get beaten in London, that's a low point of your career."

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