UFC on FUEL TV 5: September 29, 2012 Capital FM Arena in Nottingham, England UFC Welterweight Contender Dan Hardy (-165) Profile: One-time UFC welterweight title contender Dan Hardy (24-10-1) has fallen on hard times lately, going on a four-fight losing streak after earning a title shot at GSP’s belt at UFC 111 before rebounding with a knockout win over Duane Ludwig at UFC 146. Shockingly, Hardy was not cut from the UFC when so many are on a losing streak of that length and was able to bounce back Ludwig. The 30-year-old Brit has been an entertaining fighter throughout his MMA career and has the ability to KO virtually anyone in the welterweight division. However, the tougher the competition, the more he has struggled against top-level opponents. Hardy has seemingly taken his losses to heart and has worked hard to fill his gaps and work on the holes in his game, namely submission defense and grappling from the bottom. UFC Welterweight Contender Amir Sadollah (+135) Profile: The winner of Season 7 of The Ultimate Fighter, Amir Sadollah (6-3) shocked the UFC world by taking out the competition without any previous professional experience. Sadollah got to the finals and won the season by armbarring CB Dollaway twice, the second time for the title, and has since seen very mixed results in his UFC-exclusive career. Over the last last three years, the 32-year-old Virginia native has amassed a 5-3 record at welterweight, using his solid standup to outpoint his opponents, with four of his last five wins resulting in decisions. Opening UFC on FUEL TV 5 Odds Analysis: MMA oddsmaker Nick Kalikas has installed Hardy as a small -165 favorite (bet $165 to win $100) while Sadollah opened as a +135 underdog (bet $100 to win $135) according to the MMA odds. From an experience standpoint, Hardy has a huge advantage with nearly four times as many fights (35 to nine for Sadollah). Hardy also has another built-in edge in that he will be fighting in front of his hometown crowd in Nottingham, going 3-1 in his previous four UFC bouts in England. The lone loss came against Carlos Condit by first-round knockout at UFC 120 in London, which was part of his four-fight losing streak and came immediately after he lost to Georges St-Pierre for the welterweight title. The first-round KO win over Duane Ludwig at UFC 146 showed Hardy still has some star potential, making him a natural to fight in the co-main event. Sadollah lost to Ludwig via unanimous decision before rebounding with a split-decision victory against Jorge Lopez, and he has finished just one of eight opponents since submitting Dollaway for the TUF title. That inexperience could be the difference, especially in a raucous atmosphere at Capital FM Arena.
