The countdown to Cage Warriors 193 is on, and fans are salivating at the prospect of a clash that could decide the direction of the lightweight division for the foreseeable future. Belgian brawler Jan ‘Q-Bomb’ Quaeyhaegens will step into enemy territory once again, and this time the crowd will be out in force for one of their own; George Hardwick!
In the run up to the bout, the former lightweight champ sat down with resident Play-by-Play man Brad Wharton to look back at his last fight, before looking ahead to September 13th, and beyond.
Tickets for CW 193 are availible here!
Last time he strapped on the Famous Yellow Gloves, Hardwick found himself on the wrong side of the judge’s decision at the end of an all-time classic five-rounder. Having taken the time to heal up, recover and reflect, he was pragmatic about the experience.
“That fight, in terms of a physical toll, was probably as hard a fight as you can have. A five round title fight, back and forth…a lot of big shin lumps, a lot of big forearm lumps…a lot of big shots thrown black and forth. I was just wanting to get back in as soon as possible, but obviously there was a few injuries coming out of that fight.”
“It was pretty crazy afterward…” he continued, “…getting scans at the hospital, having to get scans and then get on UFC Fight Pass and watch Harry’s fight. A little round here, then a scan, a round there, then I’d get something checked up…it was an absolutely crazy experience.”
Still, it didn’t take long for the Middlesborough man to begin plotting his return to action. A huge factor in his eventual decision was the opportunity to compete close to home, something that has become a bucket list item in recent years.
“As soon as I was out of the hospital, I wanted to fight again. I really wanted to fight July 12th, to try and get out again as soon as possible…but as soon as I heard that [Cage Warriors] were coming back to Newcastle in September, I was like, ‘I want Newcastle’.”
“I cant wait. I was so jealous of Harry. Harry’s had two main event fights in Newcastle, in that Vertu Arena, and the energy has just been crazy! The first time he entered to some mad Devil May Cry 5 soundtrack and it was just complete nerdy nonsense blasting away. Second time he enters to ‘Gold’ and everyone’s singing along. It’s a crazy, crazy atmosphere and it’s been so long since I’ve fought anywhere near home.”
“But even when I was fighting in London, even when I was fighting on the Unplugged show against Chris Bungard, I’d throw a body-shot and people would whoop, people would holler…so it’s going to be crazy in the Vertu Arena when I do that but at the end of the day, it’s just two bodies. Two bodies in a cage, with kind of a willingness…an intention for it to be the last night that they have.”
Quaeyhaegens has made no secret of the fact that he’s had Hardwick in his crosshairs for some time, but he might have been surprised to know that the feeling was mutual.
“I’ve always had my eyes on Jan as well, being the champion. We fought on the same night, when I beat Chris Bungard, he got a knee knockout I think. It was a 20 second fight. So I’ve always had my eyes on him, like he could be the next name they call up. I’m not unfamiliar with his game, I’ve studied him.”
Aside from the requisite tape study of a new opponent, one of the most significant aspects of Hardwick’s pre-fight preparation will be the fact that he’s gearing up for a three round fight in the Famous Yellow Gloves for the first time since March 2022. So how does that change things in camp?
“Obviously you prepare more for the three rounds. You don’t want to fight for fifteen minutes, have another ten minutes in you then lose a decision or lose some other way because you didn’t put it out there. So I need to put it out there in those fifteen minutes.”
“That was a mistake I made in the Contender Series fight where I was training for three-fives, but I still kinda had a five round rhythm. I’m not making that mistake again. If anything it’s going to be more explosive, more chaotic a fight. It’s going to be crazy!”
With Quaeyhaegens vowing to become the first man to finish Hardwick in the cage, the 28 year old has a lot to think about as their showdown draws ever closer. That’s not to say that the implications of a victory have been pushed completely to the back of his mind. Does he still have one eye on the world title?
“Absolutely, absolutely. An impressive victory would get me right back in there. A lot of people were saying ‘You should have the rematch with Silva’…obviously Silva’s gone to the Contender Series, and best of luck to him. But of course, a finish puts me right back into that title contention!”
Fans don’t have long to wait for Hardwick vs Quaeyhaegens, which goes down at CW 193 on Saturday, September 13th at the Vertu Arena. Tickets are availible here. The event will air live on UFC Fight Pass and international broadcast partners.