Middleborough’s Harry Hardwick has no shortage of highlights to look back on over his almost four-year tenure with Europe’s Leading MMA Organisation. But after a brief period of inactivity looked like it was going to cast a shadow over his promising start in the Famous Yellow Gloves, 2024 saw everything fall into place.
A world title win and a successful title defence – both on home soil in front of swathes of adoring fans – will cement the year as Hardwick’s best as a competitor to date. As the start of his 2025 campaign rapidly approaches, the featherweight champ sat down with CW Play-by-Play man Brad Wharton to talk awards, fights, and one of the greatest bands in the world…
“The best Creed song has to be My Sacrifice…” said Hardwick, a man of culture. There was, of course, a little more to it…
“Obviously there is a bit of a bias, because George going through a shit-tonne, returning to the cage…the lyrics were kind of meaningful…they reflected things that had gone on in George’s life leading up to him getting back into the cage. And the song itself is an absolute belter of a track!”
A controversial choice, with One Last Breath currently enjoying a massive revival? Perhaps. When it came to our End of Year Awards though, a somewhat less controversial choice was Hardwick’s nomination for Fighter of the Year.
“When I was nominated for fighter of the year it was a good feeling! I’d had a few years in Cage Warriors where I hadn’t been as active as I’d wanted to be, but I managed to get a title win and a title defence in in 2024, and it was a good year!”
It was nothing not a stacked field; with nominations for the likes of James Power, UFC veteran and former double-champ Mason Jones and 2023 winner Luke Riley, Harry was in good company, a fact he realised all too well…
“Honestly, I didn’t fancy my chances!…” he laughed. “ I was up against pretty stiff competition; people who are both excellent fighters and popular! The Fighter of the Year award goes down to a vote, so I just assumed I would lose!”
It was a closely contested race, but when the final votes had been tallied, ‘Houdini’ had pulled it off. And while it may have come as a surprise to the 30-year-old, it was absolutely of the best kind.
“Honestly, it was a shock…” he said. “I didn’t expect to win the vote. It was quite humbling, having fans coming out to support me. It was humbling, it feels great and I’m buzzing!”
Awards season wasn’t over with just one though. In 2024 Harry and brother George became the first brothers to hold CW title simultaneously, with both having successful title defences over the course of the year.
For that impressive feat, CW fans deemed it fit to hand them the Moment of the Year nod too, albeit Harry’s vote did go elsewhere…
“I’m not going to lie, I personally feel that Justin Burlinson coming back from cancer should – something as serious as that – and getting the win…that was my moment of the year to be fair. But me and George winning the belts, and holding them simultaneously, is special. It’s never been done before and to be the first is very meaningful to us.”
With the Cage Warriors machine just weeks away from firing up for the 2025 season, Hardwick finds himself in a positive place. With a banner year behind him he’s already got a dance partner for his first fight of 2025, with America’s ‘El Mariachi’ Javier Garcia stepping up for a crack at the gold.
With the bout booked for CW 186 on Friday, March 21st, those memories of inactivity in 2023 will thankfully remain a thing of the past.
“Its an unusual fight, it kind of came about because CW put up a post asking ‘What’s next for Harry Hardwick?’ and this guy started chirping up and chatting a bit of shit on the post. Then as soon as the fight actually got announced and put through he’s gone silent.”
“I think he’s probably realised what he’s getting into, but I’m just buzzing that I’m active; this will be my third, five round title fight in 10 months.”
With UFC London taking place just 24 hours later in the O2 Arena, there will be a lot of eyeballs on The indigo as CW kicks off the biggest weekend of MMA in the UK. Not that there weren’t for his previous two bouts in Newcastle; this fight will simply be big in a different way.
But for Hardwick, these differences are by-the-by; he’s focused on the more practical elements.
“It’ll be a big weekend of MMA in London! It’ll feel a little bit different than the last two fights because the last two fights were a home crowd and it was very special, but I’m just focused on my preparation and pragmatic things that make a difference like, the cage is actually smaller in the indigo – which I massively prefer – so I’m excited and I’m preparing as diligently and as thoroughly as I can!”
Hardwick vs Garcia is the main event of Cage Warriors 186 on Friday, March 21st at London’s indigo at The O2.
Tickets are available here, and the event will be broadcast live on UFC Fight Pass and international broadcast partners.