So you ask Issac Hardman just how suited he is for Australia’s newest sport of brawling?
Especially with the smaller gloves.
The compressed cage.
“And two minute rounds,” the Queenslander grins. “It means I could go sink four pints of Guinness after weighing in and still punch some f***er’s head in by fight night”.
Not so long ago starring within the same No Limit boxing stable as Australia’s Tszyu brothers, 30-year-old Hardman now suddenly emerges as the new face of the International Brawling Championships.
IBC 02: Hardman vs Towns | Friday 28 Nov from 8:30pm AEDT | Issac “Headsplitter” Hardman makes his International Brawling Championship debut against Jordan Towns in his hometown of Brisbane. | Order Now with Main Event on Kayo Sports.
Apart from headlining the new league’s hyped Main Event debut this Friday night – taking on Gold Coaster Jordan Towns in Brisbane – the fighter dubbed ‘Headsplitter’ has also been urged to effectively go establish what only months ago was nothing more than an idea.
“So I’m full f***ing throttle with this,” Hardman tells Fox Sports Australia with a cackle. “I’m going out there to chin this c***.”
That and become something of a new age Chuck Liddell.
Or at least that’s the message from new IBC boss Daniel Mac, who in only eight months has turned a concept few thought could work into what he insists can become a $1 billion sporting empire.
Which may sound familiar, right?
Especially when you recall how back in the early 2000s, it was American slugger Liddell who — in a chaotic swirl all mohawk and fists — went and helped transform a dud UFC franchise into the global sporting empire that is now worth upwards of $15 billion.
Apart from being an undeniable fan favourite, The Iceman effectively carried MMA mainstream — and on the back of slobberknockers against the likes of Tito Ortiz, Randy Couture and Quinton ‘Rampage’ Jackson.
“Which has also been Uncle Dan’s message to me,” Hardman grins of the nation’s newest fight boss. “He said to go be the Chuck Liddell of the IBC.
“Which is funny because it’s The Iceman who got me into all this.
“First time I saw him fight, I was hooked.
“So now I want to do the same for the IBC.
“Uncle Dan’s mantra is a billion dollars or broke — and I’m all for it.
“And, no, I don’t have a mohawk.
“But let me tell you, I can f***ing punch like a horse kicks.”
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While Hardman has long been famed in Australian boxing circles for his heavy hands and entertaining fight week antics – which included a wonderful feud with Michael Zerafa – the star IBC signing has nothing bad to say about his latest rival.
In fact, the Queenslander revealed he and Towns have actually sparred rounds during a boxing career which saw Hardman go undefeated in his first dozen fights as a middleweight and become world ranked.
Before that, Headsplitter also enjoyed a successful domestic MMA career, which saw him go undefeated through nine professional fights – winning three national titles.
All of which now has the Queenslander convinced he can find a niche in brawling just like, say, American Mike Perry has risen up to become the undeniable face of Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship (BKFC).
Asked if he could see similarities between himself and Perry, who after being cut from the UFC, and then losing a boxing match to Jake Paul, has since risen up to become a bareknuckle king, Hardman replied: “f***ing absolutely”.
The Aussie added that fighting with smaller gloves, inside a compressed cage, and over rounds of only two minutes, also greatly suited a fight style where “I’m coming at you full throttle”.
“Because let’s not beat around the bush,” Hardman continued, “I’m not the type of boxer who is going to get on the jab for 10 rounds, move my head and so on.
“So brawling for me, it’s unreal.
“I’m no scrub in the boxing ring.
“You can’t be if you’re being asked to spar with the likes of Caleb Plant and Shane Mosley Jnr.
“But put me in a big ring and my opponents are moving, getting on the jab, being evasive.
“But when you’re locked in a f***ing five by five cage with me? There’s no f***ing running.
“And with two minute rounds as well, I could go sink four pints of Guinness after weighing in and still punch some f***ers head in by fight night.”
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On Perry’s rise in BKFC, Hardman continued: “Mike Perry had a good run in the UFC, had some great knockouts, but then he got cut and went to boxing, where was never the best, was beaten by Jake Paul and wouldn’t even really be considered above a C Level.
“But since moving across to bareknuckle, the guy has really found his niche.
“He’s just made for that sport.
“No, he isn’t the tidiest boxer, but he doesn’t need to be.
“And the c*** is made of granite.
“Fighting bareknuckle, he’s incredibly effective.
“If he wants Jake Paul in BKFC, he dominates him.”
And as for Friday night’s rival Towns, who he has previously sparred?
“I’ll tell you what, he’s got bigger balls than most blokes,” Hardman said.
“Because once I said ‘yes’, it was only a couple of minutes later that Jordan messaged me on Instagram with the handshake emoji. Said ‘see you November 28’.
“[Laughs] If anything, I almost felt insulted.
“I was thinking ‘hang on, this c*** thinks he’s better than me off our sparring’.
“But Jordan Towns, I honestly don’t have a bad word to say about him.
“The bloke rides Brahman bulls, does 100km ultramarathons, good on him. He’s just not f***ing winning this fight”.