UFC 111's Dan Hardy and 10th Planet Jiu-Jitsu coach Alder Hampel prepare for their title shot against Georges St. Pierre.

Written by Cameron Gidari

Finding flaws in one of the game’s top pound-for-pound fighters is a daunting task.

That is exactly what Dan Hardy’s team has been tasked with as they help Hardy prepare for his UFC 111 bout against welterweight champion Georges St. Pierre.

Striking coach Steve Papp and 10th Planet jiu jitsu coach Alder Hampel joined Free Roll hosts Cameron Gidari and Hector Castro to break down just how they’re preparing Hardy to take on the champ.

In the prototypical match of striker versus grappler, Hardy’s main focus will be to keep the fight on the feet. Papp believes that Hardy’s build will allow him to do just that.

“I think the thing that works in our advantage leading into this fight is that Dan is actually quite a tall welterweight,” Papp said. “As long as we can keep GSP at a distance, his striking should always work well.”

The ground game is not something that UFC fans have seen Hardy implement, but he does have a purple belt in Brazilian jiu jitsu. It’s on the ground that Hampel believes Hardy could really pull the upset.

“It’s unfortunate that you don’t get to see a lot of [Hardy's] skill on the ground because he’s such an exciting standup fighter,” Hampel said. “If it does go down to the ground and… if GSP decides he wants to leave something out there or leave something loose, it could be a short night for him.”

Both of Hardy’s trainers sounded confident heading into the fight, and we will find out if that hard work will come to fruition on March 27.

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