Dan Hardy warns fans not to bet against a Conor McGregor comeback.
McGregor makes his return to action at UFC 303 in what will be his first fight following a 35-month injury layoff. He fights Michael Chandler in the June 29 main event and seeks just his second win in nearly eight years.
Hardy, a veteran analyst who currently provides commentary for PFL, is going with “The Notorious” to beat Chandler, based on how well McGregor has typically performed in big fights.
“I can’t underestimate McGregor’s ability,” Hardy said on The MMA Hour. “He’s done very special things in very tense, and high-pressure moments in his career. Headlining in Dublin with [Diego] Brandao, he just commanded that space so well. What he did to [Jose] Aldo was an absolute masterpiece. I mean, it hurt as an Aldo fan to watch it go down so quickly because I wanted to see some more of the fight, but he has an ability to control and manage and create illusions with range.
“I broke it down on Inside the Octagon a few years ago where you look at him when he was fighting Eddie Alvarez and he throws a jab and hangs his hips back to make it appear from Eddie Alvarez’s perspective like he’s at the length of his reach. So Alvarez then, ‘Oh, I’m OK. I’m safe here.’ And then [McGregor] steps through that reach and knocks him down. That’s a very, very high-level operating system and that’s not something that you lose by hanging out on a yacht and enjoying your life. I still feel like he’s got that refinement in his game.”
Dan Hardy picks Conor McGregor to beat Michael Chandler: ‘He’s got that refinement in his game’ - MMA Fighting
