Hardy/Swick Winner Tabbed for Title Shot
Jake Rossen Sep 28, 2009
To what extent has Georges
St. Pierre dismantled the welterweight division? Enough that
Mike
Swick and Dan Hardy are
about to vie for a No. 1 contender’s slot on Nov. 14 at UFC 105 in
Manchester, England. Try to control your adrenaline.
While the pulse doesn’t quicken at the thought of the matchup, there is virtually no one left for St. Pierre to fight. He has met -- and defeated -- every notable welterweight available in the UFC; only Strikeforce’s Jake Shields stands out as a potential problem.
Both Swick and Hardy have improved in bounds over the years, but it will be the hard sell of the season to convince anyone that either one has a shot against St. Pierre. There’s nothing wrong with a welterweight buffet for the champ, but someone with his talent and drive should be occupied with more formidable tests: Taking a year off to add size and return as a middleweight would be unprecedented. And exciting as hell.
While the pulse doesn’t quicken at the thought of the matchup, there is virtually no one left for St. Pierre to fight. He has met -- and defeated -- every notable welterweight available in the UFC; only Strikeforce’s Jake Shields stands out as a potential problem.
Both Swick and Hardy have improved in bounds over the years, but it will be the hard sell of the season to convince anyone that either one has a shot against St. Pierre. There’s nothing wrong with a welterweight buffet for the champ, but someone with his talent and drive should be occupied with more formidable tests: Taking a year off to add size and return as a middleweight would be unprecedented. And exciting as hell.
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