Dan Hardy: "Maybe Dana's time in mixed martial arts has passed"

The former UFC title challenger says he got "the vibe" Ronda Rousey wants to be the next face of the UFC.

By Combat Sports UK Staff · Published Thu 1 Oct, 19:52 UK · AI-assisted reporting

Dana White and Ronda Rousey at the UFC Hall of Fame ceremony in 2018 — Photo: Getty Images

Dan Hardy says MMA needs "a fresh voice", and that Dana White, having conquered the sport, might be better off moving into boxing.

"I think maybe Dana's time in mixed martial arts has passed. Maybe if he crosses over to boxing now and let somebody else take his place," Hardy, who fought Georges St-Pierre for the UFC welterweight title in 2010, told Submission Radio. "I was kind of getting the vibe that Ronda was going to be gunning for the UFC face job at some point in the future, so we'll see how that plays out."

Hardy wondered whether White has lost some of his hunger because promoting the UFC is "not necessarily that difficult anymore". "I think he likes a challenge and I don't necessarily think MMA is a challenge for him... he kind of conquered it," he said. "It's almost like he's kind of ruined the game for himself because it's not nearly as fun as it used to be for him."

Ronda Rousey is a former UFC champion and the first American woman to win an Olympic medal in judo.