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'Cocky' Hardy suppressing his 'inner serial killer'

Dan Hardy is 'suppressing his inner serial killer' ahead of his March 26 clash with Anthony Johnson © Getty Images

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Dan Hardy has admitted he "got too cocky" ahead of his UFC 120 loss to Carlos Condit, but that only serves to make him a hugely dangerous prospect for Anthony Johnson come March's UFC Fight Night.

Hardy has not fought since October, taking a self-enforced layoff after he suffered the first knockout of his career against Condit. The defeat still hurts him, but the time off has enabled the Briton to gain perspective on the reasons for that shock defeat.

"I just started chasing him with a left hook and that was obviously what he was looking for me to do so he could counter me," Hardy told BJPenn.com. "I guess I got a little ahead of myself and I was a little too confident, a little bit too cocky maybe, and I just kind of fed off the environment in the arena and let it get to me a little bit.

"I certainly wouldn't like to fight me now because now I'm suppressing my inner serial killer and I want to hurt somebody."

Now Hardy heads directly into another war, against an even stronger opponent athletically, against Anthony Johnson. The American recently offered the first signs of trash talk by claiming there is "nothing" that worries him in Hardy's game, but Hardy is more concerned with getting back to the stage where he can avenge his defeat to Condit.

"Condit's going to be at the top of my list until the end of my career. I want to get that win over him and I'm determined to get that. I think this next fight is going to be a good step towards getting back to Condit and to the rest of the guys that I want to put a beating on. He certainly hasn't gotten away with it."

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