Dana White Not Impressed by Greg Hardy’s Opponent: ‘I’d Like to See the Nine Guys He Beat’

Dmitry Smoliakov didn’t put up much of a fight against Greg Hardy, which left some observers questioning his UFC worthiness following their heavyweight co-main event bout on Saturday in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

From the outset, the Russian clearly wanted no part of the standup game, as he retreated from Hardy while seeking an opportunity for a takedown. After Smoliakov failed on a takedown, Hardy put his opponent on his seat with an uppercut to the face. From there, a barrage of punches and hammerfists brought a close to the contest at the 2:15 mark of round one.

While Dana White denied that the promotion’s matchmakers used a soft touch in booking Hardy, the UFC president was hardly impressed by the performance.

“I’m not gonna say that I loved that fight,” White said UFC Fight Night 150 post-fight press conference. “You guys know, I’ve been doing this for 20 years, we don’t do set-up fights for anybody. And if I was a fan and probably some of the media, the way some of the media acts, I would think that was--I don’t know who the f--k that guy beat in nine fights, but I’d like to see the nine guys he beat. That was weird.”

Smoliakov entered the contest with a 9-2 mark, but seven of his opponents currently do not have winning records. He fell to 0-3 in the Octagon on Saturday, as he was finished by Cyril Asker and Luis Henrique Barbosa de Oliveira in his previous two appearances.

It was nonetheless a welcome victory for Hardy, who was disqualified for an illegal knee against Allen Crowder in his promotional debut at UFC Brooklyn. The controversial former NFL star has been scrutinized due to past allegations of domestic violence as well as the promotion’s insistence on putting him in prominent spots despite being a still-developing talent.

“It felt amazing to be back after the situation in my first fight,” Hardy said. “I got to redeem myself, fight my heart out in front of my home crowd. I loved it. I kept my calm, I did the exact opposite of what I did the first time, kept it collected, just looked for all the openings in his game. I felt like I could see it all, and what I couldn’t see, I could get out of range fast enough and it all just came together. Now I want more. That’s it. Whoever the boss says I’m going to fight, I’m going to fight. Let’s do it.”

White was critical of Smoliakov’s credentials, but he praised Hardy’s effort. The Contender Series alum performed as he was expected to against an overmatched opponent.

“Not to take anything away from Hardy,” White said. “Hardy came in in great shape, Hardy doesn’t make fights, me and my guys do, and Hardy came in and better shape and he did what he had to do. He treated that guy like he was supposed to.”