5 UFC fighters who can step up on short notice to replace Tommy Fury against Jake Paul
The matchup between Jake Paul and Tommy Fury has collapsed yet again. The two have been scheduled to face each other twice now, but the bout seems cursed in a vein similar to the matchup between Khabib Nurmagomedov and Tony Ferguson.
That match itself was scheduled five times before UFC President Dana White ultimately gave up on seeing the fight materialize.
There was initial interest in seeing Paul fight Fury due to the latter's connection to all-time great heavyweight boxer Tyson Fury, as well as being the first proper boxer Paul would have faced. His previous foes have been smaller, older men with no fully realized boxing experience.
However, it seems now that the matchup has lost its luster following its second reported cancelation.
Thus, Paul recently announced his intentions to move on from the bout. While there is talk of Hasim Rahman Jr. being Fury's replacement, there are 5 UFC fighters, both active and inactive, who can step up in his place.
#5. Dan Hardy
Dan Hardy was once an extraordinarily tough action fighter in the UFC's welterweight division. He challenged Georges St-Pierre for the UFC welterweight championship off the back of a seven-fight win streak.
Hardy, however, was ultimately unsuccessful in his sole UFC title fight, losing to the Canadian great by unanimous decision. Three more losses followed and the Brit was in unfamiliar territory with a four-fight losing streak.
"Timid and unsure of himself" - Dan Hardy reacts to Tyron Woodley's performance in the Jake Paul fight. - Sportskeeda dlvr.it/S6brKq https://t.co/LxTCYfrF0p
While he eventually rebounded with two wins, he was forced into an early retirement due to medical reasons. He spent the next few years as a UFC commentator and analyst while expressing frequent interest in returning to professional fighting.
Upon the end of his UFC contract, Hardy seemed to campaign for a boxing match with Tyron Woodley, mocking the latter's failed efforts against Jake Paul. With the American's penchant for selecting aging welterweight fighters no longer signed to the UFC, Hardy seems like a fitting candidate to box Paul next.
This is even more so given his oft-repeated interest in fighting again, least of all because of the payday he's likely to receive.