• UFC 120

'Gutted' Hardy writes off 2010 after Condit KO

Dan Hardy admits he is 'absolutely gutted' to lose his invincible reputation for never being knocked out, and he told ESPN he will not fight again this year in order to sort out the holes in his game.

Hardy is known for having a rock solid chin, based on 30 previous fights that have seen him smile - not crumble - in reaction to any punches that have landed. However, a meaty left hook from Carlos Condit, followed by a huge right, switched off the lights at UFC 120, leaving Hardy to reflect on the unusual feeling of not remembering a fight.

"I just remember a few exchanges in the fight, and after that all I remember is going over to him and congratulating him after the fight," he told ESPN. "That's it apart from that. Carlos is a great fighter, I've always enjoyed watching him, I was always a fan when he was in the WEC, and I knew it'd be a good fight and I knew he'd bring it. I can't knock him, he caught me with a good shot and it was a quick night for me."

The loss was Hardy's second in seven months, following his defeat to Georges St-Pierre, and for the first time he now has questions to answer regarding his striking game. The Briton admits 2010 has not been a good year for him, so he will now focus on making sure 2011 puts him back on the road to the welterweight title.

"I'm gutted, absolutely gutted [to be knocked out]. You've got to evolve though, got to keep moving forward. I want to get straight back on the horse and I'll be straight back into training this week. Whoever the UFC wants me to fight, whoever the fans want me to fight, I'll be happy to do it.

"I've got 30 days to not get punched in the face again, so I'll get that out the way. I think I'll put 2010 to bed and I'll be ready for the start of next year. I've got things to work on for the rest of this year, and at the same time I'll look forward to all the photoshops on the forums!"

Commenting on the nature of the defeat, Hardy admits that if the St-Pierre loss hurt for several months, the Condit KO will act as a motivator for the rest of his career.

"It's the nature of the sport, sometimes you get caught, it was a good punch and I'm gonna watch it back and learn from it. 2010 wasn't my year, I've had two losses this year, learnt a lot, now I've got to get back on the horse and I'll be ready for next year. This one will be a motivator for the rest of my career, definitely.

"I'll learn from it. He's a good fighter, but I'll be back on the horse soon and catching him back up. I'm sure we'll dance again one day."

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