Hardonk Keeps Eyes on the Prize

The year had just begun, but Antoni Hardonk (Pictures) set off for Newcastle, England, knowing the stakes were at an all-time high. At UFC 80 in January, the veteran Dutchman touched gloves with British banger Colin Robinson (Pictures) and hoped to erase the memory of back-to-back defeats in the Octagon.

Yet no one, including Hardonk, expected the victory to come within 17 seconds.

"My game plan wasn't to go in there and take him out early," said Hardonk, who scored his first victory since his UFC debut in 2006. "I wanted to take my time and fight a little safer than I did the two previous fights. In both the Justin McCully (Pictures) and Frank Mir (Pictures) fights I wanted to force my game too much on them and I felt afterwards that it made me vulnerable for the takedown. With Robinson it was him pushing the action by coming in so fast and I just anticipated that."

To see the 32-year-old's emphatic win was to see a ruthless striker at his potent best. Hardonk had hoped to utilize his highly-regarded stand-up skills, honed under the stewardship of kickboxing great Ernesto Hoost (Pictures), last year in his clash with former UFC heavyweight kingpin Frank Mir.

The Dutchman came up short against a resurgent Mir, tapping out in the second minute under the pressure of a beautifully crafted kimura. Many before had fallen to the same fate against submission savvy Mir, but Hardonk felt he done himself a disservice.

"I was very disappointed after the fight," he said. "Not so much about the result because there is always a possibility of losing a fight in MMA, especially against a good fighter such as Frank Mir, but more in the fact that I didn't show what I'm capable of."

When he returned to the Octagon against Robinson, the much-travelled Hardonk set the record straight and show the fight fraternity exactly what he was capable of.

Now the Weesp, Holland-native will again compete in Europe when he tackles Eddie Sanchez on Saturday at the O2 Arena in London, England

Hardonk was originally slated to face unbeaten Brit Neil Wain, but the unlucky UFC newcomer suffered a broken nose in training last week and the more than willing Sanchez was drafted in.

Sanchez, who also holds a victory over Northern Ireland's Robinson, is perhaps best known for being the only the man Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic defeated during the Croat's troubled tenure in the UFC.

Hardonk is keenly aware of the threat Sanchez poses and intends to use everything in his arsenal to match him on fight night.

"I know that Eddie Sanchez has heavy hands and some good leg trips from the clinch," Hardonk said. "He is a mentally tough fighter who usually comes out with good conditioning.

"I worked very hard on my wrestling and ground skills and feel that I improved a lot there. I think that Sanchez is going to try to take me down and I might go for a take down as well if the opportunity is there. If the fight gets to the ground I think I have a very good chance of finishing it from there."

The events that transpire will only be seen by those fortunate enough to be in attendance in London as the bout will be contested on the prelim card and is not scheduled to be broadcast.

"I understand that I'm not one of the big names yet, and I realise that I have a lot to learn in MMA and that is what I focus on," said Hardonk. "I'm working hard to improve every aspect of my game each fight and I know eventually my hard work will pay off.

"I want to continue developing as a MMA fighter. In the future I hope to be one of the top heavyweights and one day put the crown on my work by winning the belt."