BT Sport announce Dan Hardy will remain in his UFC role, welcome Michael Bisping to the team
Dan Hardy will be returning to BT Sport with his own show - The Dan Hardy Breakdown Show. The sports platform recently took to Twitter to make the announcement and also revealed a new addition to the BT Sport UFC team in UFC Hall of Famer Michael Bisping. Bisping will be joining MMA pundits Nick Peet and Adam Catterall for 'Fight Week.'
Dan Hardy recently sparked controversy after being fired from both UFC and BT Sport following reported disagreements with a female employee. However, the UFC fighter and analyst has disputed the claim that his departure was due to being removed. Commenting on a report from BJ Penn.com, Dan Hardy wrote on Twitter-
"I am no longer working directly with the UFC. The ‘female’ part is irrelevant. It was a disagreement over an opportunity missed, or withheld, and I’d love some answers but can’t get any.”
As promised, the 38-year-old has returned to his punditry gig after sorting out the situation. After BT Sport made the official announcement, Dan Hardy confirmed it via his own Twitter account.
Dan Hardy controversy with Herb Dean
Dan Hardy's MMA career suddenly came to a halt due to a serious heart condition known as Wolff-Parkinson-White Syndrome. Since then, Hardy has taken to commentating and has excelled at it, becoming a part of the promotion's A-team for overseas events.
Dan Hardy caught the headlines during a commentary gig when he clashed with referee Herb Dean at UFC Fight Island. The confrontation took place when Dan Hardy shouted at Herb Dean to stop the fight after Francisco Trinaldo knocked out Jai Herbert. Hardy and Herb Dean later had a heated verbal exchange which was caught on camera. In a now-removed YouTube video defending his actions, Dan Hardy said -
"Herb needs to understand that there was a mistake made here, and there needs to be accountability that needs to be taken. It’s just a learning opportunity, and if it’s not taken as a learning opportunity, then we’re all losing, especially fighters and brain cells. ... We need to upgrade the awareness of some of these officials, and we also need to hold them accountable for situations like this, when they can’t take it upon themself to do it."