Step-by-step, or in her case, combat by combat. That’s how Veronica Hardy is approaching issues now that she’s in the perfect second of her profession.
Hardy rides a three-fight successful streak heading into her return to the octagon Saturday at UFC 309 from Madison Sq. Backyard in New York. The Venezuelan girls’s flyweight takes on Eduarda Moura within the opening bout of the cardboard.
A possible four-fight successful streak is not any joke within the girls’s 125-pound division. But, Hardy (9-4-1 MMA, 4-4 UFC) doesn’t wish to get too far forward and begin projecting herself into the rankings or the UFC title image.
“I believe should you look too forward, the highway simply appears so lengthy like, ‘Wow, I’m not even ranked,’” Hardy informed MMA Junkie in Spanish. “So for me, I’m simply taking it combat by combat and centered on enhancing.
“It’d be a waste to get to the title and never be prepared as a result of I wanted one thing in my recreation. Think about getting thus far simply to return up brief. So for me, if I’m prepared, then sure. Proper now I simply wish to get robust fights, maintain climbing up the rankings and maintain enhancing as a martial artist.”
Hardy doesn’t suppose a win alone on Saturday will get her a spot within the official UFC rankings for her division. She thinks it may possibly get her a future combat to compete for a spot, however given the best efficiency, possibly she will squeeze on the planet’s finest.
“I don’t suppose I’ll enter the rankings, however possibly I’ll get a combat to enter the rankings,” Hardy stated. “I believe the fighters within the rankings are all very expert and have picked up huge wins, so I don’t suppose me successful will get somebody out. I additionally suppose it comes down as to if or not they like your fights since you may simply want extra to enter the rankings. So I believe the efficiency itself is essential.”
Taking issues again to her fight-by-fight method, Hardy can’t wait to compete Saturday. She likes the matchup with Moura (10-1 MMA, 1-1 UFC), however extra importantly she’s combating in a legendary area.
“I’m so excited, so excited, particularly as a result of I requested for this combat a lot,” Hardy stated. “I requested for it final yr to combat at this (MSG) occasion, they usually stated no. I used to be extra persistent in asking for this one.
“I prepare right here in New York, so it makes it extra particular. Going to coaching day by day and seeing the world proper there, as a result of it’s an enormous monster, it’s one thing that’s helped me as a result of it’s such an impactful metropolis, and I really feel proper at house. I believe it is going to assist me a ton.”
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