Dan Hardy and Marcus Davis went to war -- a war of words -- well before they ever set foot in the Octagon at UFC 99. But all has been quiet on the home front leading up to Hardy's next challenge, a number one contender bout with Mike Swick at UFC 105: Couture vs. Vera this Saturday... until now.
At Thursday's UFC 105 pre-fight press conference, Hardy finally started a little jabbing, although never getting into the heavy leather he and Davis shared before their fight.
When Hardy took the dais before the media, he thanked the UFC for the opportunity to show he belongs at this level, but quickly moved on to Swick, "I just want to thank the UFC for giving me this opportunity. I'm here to make a point and show I belong here. I'd like to thank Mike for giving me the opportunity to fight him. I've always enjoyed his fights and I respect him a lot.
"I actually got Mike a bit something so he didn't leave England empty-handed, just something to remember his journey by. I got him a runner-up trophy... I'm gonna be busy after the fight, answering questions, and sorting a game plan for Georges St. Pierre, so thanks Mike."
Not wasting any time in returning the good-natured barb, Swick responded in kind with a gracious acceptance speech, saying, "I want to first thank the UFC for having me on this card. To get this opportunity against Dan Hardy has been great.
"I want to thank Dan Hardy for this trophy. It means a lot. Coming up runner-up in a press conference is pretty cool, but I just want everybody to know I'm gonna give this right back to him after our fight. My corner guys will carry this to the Octagon, but I'll keep it for now."
They don't call him Mike "Quick" Swick for nothing!
This is a look inside Mike's training for his bout against Dan Hardy at UFC 105 in Manchester England. On day one across the pond, Mike takes you for a behind the scenes look at his super top secret training session. Not even Mike knew where this session would be or what was on the agenda until he arrived. Then immediately following, he got zapped by the memory erasing pen from "Men In Black" and only has this video to reflect upon....
After a very impressive performance dispatching of Jonathan Goulet at the UFC "Fight for the Troops" show on Wednesday night, Mike Swick vaulted one step closer towards a top contender's spot in the welterweight division, but could his next fight involve a shot at Thiago Alves?
The speculation begins with Alves, who defeated Josh Koscheck in October, but as the #1 conteder for the welterweight title he would likely sit out for the better part of 8 or 9 months waiting for the winner of GSP and B.J. Penn to be ready to fight again after their Jan 31 showdown.
UFC president Dana White said during a "Q&A" session on Tuesday that Alves would be facing the winner of GSP/Penn, but a fight between Swick and Alves could be a big fight for early 09'.
Rumors of the fight began to circle almost immediately after Swick finished off Jonathan Goulet, and a fight against Alves was the talk in Fayetteville following the event.
Alves spoke to MMAWeekly Radio after his win over Koscheck, admitting that it's very tough for him to stay out of fights for very long.
"I don't really know because that's something inside of me that I can't stay still for too long," Alves said. "I have to punch somebody, I have to get in a fight."
"I don't mind waiting, I don't mind doing another fight, but my manager and my camp don't want me to fight. They want me to fight for the title, so whatever they want me to do."
Stay tuned to the MMAInsider as more information becomes available on this potential fight.
UFC Fight Night for the Troops featuring Josh Koscheck, Matt Swick and Matt Wiman is live from the Crown Coliseum in Fayetteville, NC on December 10th. Thousands of soldiers from Fort Bragg, the proud home of the U.S. Airborne and Special Operations Forces, will be in attendance and only 30 tickets are available to the public with all funds raised benefitting the Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund. Bid now to win tickets to this exclusive UFC auction.
Regardless of where you stand politically, the Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund is a great way to support the men and women - and their families - who serve the U.S.
UFC welterweight Mike Swick inadvertently got caught in the middle of last week's scandal du jour when he was "exempted" from UFC president Dana White's 24-hour purge of sorts at the American Kickboxing Academy in San Jose, Calif.
Eventually, cooler heads prevailed, with Fitch and AKA manager "Crazy" Bob Cook brokering a deal with UFC co-owner Lorenzo Fertitta to bring the number two ranked welterweight back--video licensing agreement signed and all.
The fate of AKA teammates Josh Koscheck, Cain Velasquez, and Christian Wellisch remains unknown, but it appears the spat has opened doors on new negotiations.
It was a jarring series of events, one you'd think would create some awkward situations in the gym. Swick shot down that idea in a recent interview with MMAInsider, saying it's going to be business as usual at AKA.
"Everyone's entitled to their own opinion and their own views, that's why this whole thing happened," Swick said. "I'm on great standing with the UFC and I'm appreciative to be where I'm at to be fighting for them. I'm not against my team, there's no animosity between us. My team and my management have always been supportive in my stance with the UFC.
"It has nothing to do with me and Fitch and Kos or anyone else. We're not against each other."
Swick says he signed the promotional agreement at the center of controversy two days before Fitch was cut, taking him out of the equation.
"No one told me that I need to go against the UFC or I need to go with them," he continued. "I make my own decisions."
Swick's next fight is against Jonathan Goulet at UFC's "Fight for the Troops" event on Dec. 10. The two have a small beef to settle; Goulet called Swick out on the internet, lighting the spark that got the fight booked. Swick is hoping above all else for a stand-up war.
But as for the drama, he's happy it's over.
"I'm appreciate of what I've achieved in my career," he said. "I've been in the sport for eleven years. I'm happy where I'm at, and I don't want to get in any kind of business that's going to go against anyone. I'm just fortunate to be living my dream, and that's all I want to focus on."
Not just a fighter, Mike Swick tied the knot recently with longtime sweetheart Mary. Mr. and Mrs. Swick were married on Sept. 13 in South Lake Tahoe. Here are a few of the many pics that Mike posted in his blog on Tuesday...
You may have seen this on Mike Swick's official YouTube channel, but we thought it was worth re-running here. This is Mike demonstrating the transition from a Kimura attempt to a triangle choke.
In the latest edition of InsideMMA on HDNet, Kenny Rice and Bas Rutten welcomed UFC heavyweight champion Randy Couture, Mask from the Tapout Crew, and UFC welterweight Mike Swick to break down some of the fights from UFC 90, as well as discuss the title potential of Thiago Alves.
American Kickboxing Academy standout Mike Swick might have been the only one not cheering for Marcus Davis after his UFC 89 fight with Paul Kelly.
On the DQ list after a longstanding injury to his right elbow forced him into surgery, Swick had healed enough to accept a fight with Jonathan Goulet at "UFC Fights for the Troops" on December 10. His last fight, a unanimous decision victory over Davis at UFC 85, had been a positive step forward in his career as a welterweight. But when Davis gave a victory speech on Saturday, his opinion of the popular welterweight changed.
"I would have never mentioned it had he not said anything, but it really upset me," Swick told MMAInsider on Monday. "The first thing he said is 'it's really tough coming off a loss and an injury.' He talks about being a warrior, and as soon as he loses, he starts making excuses."
In interviews leading up to the Saturday night fight, Davis said a shoulder injury had contributed to his loss, a statement Swick bristles at.
"That's very disrespectful to take the fight away from somebody when they dominate you," Swick said. "It's especially disrespectful when a guy who dominated you is more injured than you are. I was told not to even take the fight. I took the fight, I never said a word about anything, and then after the fight, I went straight back here and had surgery. Basically just recovering enough to fight in December, and he gets done with the fight and takes another fight instantly. And he's gonna go with all these excuses about being injured. I just don't think it's very warrior-like."
Swick was particularly caught off guard by the comments because Davis had been so friendly in the past. In the ensuing chatter after Davis' most recent fight, Swick says the comments have armed critics who were looking to bash him at every turn. He felt he had to fire back.
"You're talking about a guy who says we're going to fight chin for chin, then for the first two rounds, he tries to take me down," Swick said. "What's up with that?"
Though he hasn't written off Davis completely, Swick says the experience was an eye-opener.
"You can't knowingly take a fight and if it doesn't work out in your favor, cry injury," Swick said. "That's just the bottom line."
Mike Swick is one fighter that has always been on the cutting edge of media. Taking advantage of the vast resources available on the Internet, Swick has started his own video channel over at YouTube.com.
Included here is Mike's first video blog, where he confirms his participation against Jonathan Goulet at Dec. 10's UFC Fight For The Troops. As Mike says, the event is actually a fundraiser for a very good cause. Rising up above the current fiery election season, the Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund raises money to support U.S. troops and their families.
Watch the video above for Mike's blog, but check out the Fallen Heroes Fund website for more information and to make a donation.
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