THE CANADIAN PRESS
MANCHESTER -- Georges St. Pierre can now add Dan (The Outlaw) Hardy to his "to do" list.
Hardy, a charismatic English welterweight, has jumped to the front of the UFC's 170-pound contenders' queue with four wins in just 13 months. He cemented his position as No. 1 contender to St. Pierre's title by winning a decision over Mike (Quick) Swick at UFC 105 on Saturday night.
"He did something I didn't expect him to do tonight," UFC president Dana White said. "He whupped Mike Swick's ass."
Swick (14-3) came into the fight with a 9-1 record in the UFC, having only lost to Yushin (Thunder) Okami at middleweight. His run in the UFC was slowed by a string of injuries, but he remained an underrated fighter.
"I was very impressed with Dan Hardy tonight," White added. "Could he have done better? Yeah, he could have finished him. But wow. I was blown away."
Hardy (23-6 with one no contest) will now challenge the Montreal mixed martial arts for his title. There's no time frame but UFC White said the fight will likely take place in Las Vegas.
"I don't mind," said Hardy. "With an opportunity like that, I'll fight him in Canada, in Vegas, in the U.K., on the moon, in the phone box on the corner, in the car park. As long as he brings his belt along with for me to take off him, I don't really mind. It's a great opportunity and I'll fight him anywhere."
Hardy, 27, is a savvy fighter who looks like he should have been playing guitar in the Clash alongside Joe Strummer. He tints his Mohawk red for fight night and wears a bandana over his face like he's about to rob a stagecoach en route to the cage, always to the sounds of Cock Sparrer's "England Belongs to Me."
St. Pierre (19-2) has cleaned out the elite contenders already by defeating Jon Fitch and Thiago Alves. He has beaten former champion Matt Hughes and Matt Serra.
Hardy helped give the welterweight division a jolt in the arm by dispatching Swick. He is a credible opponent for GSP, albeit still a work in progress.
Three of his wins have come by decision in the UFC and two of those were split decisions. Hardy promises quicker finishes will come the more time he spends with his new striking coach Steve Papp.
"We're going to start finding our rhythm soon and I'm going to start putting people to sleep. I've got the potential. You see when I hit people, they hurt all the time."
Hardy resisted Swick's takedown attempts but will be in far deeper water with GSP, who is an MMA wrestling wrecking machine.
Still St. Pierre, mindful of his upset loss to Serra at UFC 69, says he will show Hardy plenty of respect.
"I will train like I never trained before for that fight," he told The Canadian Press on Sunday. "I remember what happened with Serra."
UFC Hall of Famer Randy (The Natural) Couture eked out a close decision over Brandon (The Truth) Vera in a main event that featured a lot of clinch and not much action.
The three judges scored it 29-28 for the 46-year-old Couture.
"Thanks judges," Vera said sarcastically in the cage.
Said Couture: "It was a close fight. I agree that it could have went either way. I wouldn't have been terribly disappointed had the decision went the other way."
White also said he didn't know at the end of the fight which way the decision would go.
"Couture's an aggressive guy who stays in your face," said White. "He roughs you up against the cage. He steals rounds. He's a professional, man. This guy's been around a long time who knows how to fight. You want to beat Randy Couture, finish him."
Vera (11-4) did hurt Couture (17-10) in the second round with a body kick. "I was protecting my head and he kicked me square in the ribs and got my attention. I think he moved my heart with that shot."
Middleweight Michael (The Count) Bisping scored a much-needed victory by stopping Canadian Denis Kang at 4:42 of the second round.
"This was a big, big test for Bisping, man" said White. "Big test for Bisping, especially coming off a knockout (at UFC 100) -- the way he got knocked out. He was viciously knocked out and he bounced right back."
Bisping's comeback win is probably due in equal part to the English fighter's skills and his Canadian opponent's deficiencies. Kang put him down in the first round and worked to mount, but was unable to profit. Credit Bisping's defence or Kang's lack of offence.
English fighters went 7-3 on the night.
"No doubt about, this country and these athletes have come a long way in a short time," said White, as six English fighters flanked him on the dais.
England's Ross (The Real Deal) Pearson looked particularly impressive in stopping veteran Aaron Riley. Pearson, winner of the lightweight division of Season 9 of "The Ultimate Fighter," showed crisp striking and a bristling arsenal of kicks and knees.
There were also wins for English lightweights Terry Etim and Andre Winner, and welterweights John (The Hitman) Hathaway and Nick Osipczak.
