BRITISH MMA star Harry Hardwick couldn’t walk out of the Octagon after a brutal leg-kick knockout saw his UFC debut end in defeat.
Hardwick, 30, was helped out of the Octagon in a wheelchair after opponent Kaue Fernandes unloaded a number of devastating leg kicks on the rookie at UFC Paris.
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Hardwick, the reigning Cage Warriors lightweight champion, had stepped in at short notice to replace Fares Ziam, who pulled out due to a family bereavement earlier in the week.
The Englishman had been drafted in just FOUR DAYS before the fight.
And unfortunately his lack of preparation time reared its head when Fernandes started to batter his legs with continuous kicks.
The relentless calf kicks left Hardwick with swollen legs before another kick saw him crumble to the floor and caused referee Herb Dean to call the fight.
Hardwick tried to return to his feet but was unable to put weight on his legs after the damage Fernandes’ game plan had caused.
The Brazilian’s victory is only the 19th leg-kick knockout in UFC history.
Hardwick’s legs were left in such a state that he needed to be helped on to a wheelchair and wheeled out of the Octagon.
But the brave Brit raised his arms to the crowd after his valiant display against an experienced UFC fighter on such short notice.
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Hardwick’s legs looked swollen and red as he was taken away from the Octagon.
The first-round defeat for the tenacious fighter, who is nicknamed ‘Houdini’, ended a run of nine unbeaten bouts.
While Fernandes extended his run of wins to three in a row and took his overall record to 11-2-0.
Hardwick updates his fans with his condition following the fight, reassuring them that he is okay.
In a brutally honest assessment of his own performance, he said: “I’m alright. That was s**t, I was s**t, but I’m alright.
“You know, four days notice and a weight class up, I thought ‘yeah f**k it, I’ll do it.
“It is what it is man. I’ll come back, I’ll be back. Never in a million years did I think that was how my UFC debut was going to go, but it is what it is.
“I can stand, I’m alright. I don’t think anything is broken. I’m alright.”
Despite his loss, fans are already wanting to see more of Hardwick.
On social media, one wrote: “Respect to Harry Hardwick, short notice and up a weight class.
“Hope the UFC gives him a fair shot and lets him fight again.”
While another added: “Four days’ notice from Harry Hardwick. Absolute warrior, he should be proud of himself.”
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