Dan Hardy’s UFC Departure Followed Two Separate Disputes
Dan Hardy’s UFC exit followed two distinct disputes: a public confrontation with referee Herb Dean at Fight Island 3 in July 2020 and a later disagreement with a UFC employee in 2021. Hardy’s release from his fight contract came after he requested it.
The Fight Island 3 incident
During the Francisco Trinaldo–Jai Herbert bout, Hardy shouted for Dean to stop the fight after Trinaldo hurt Herbert with punches on the ground. Dean allowed the action to continue briefly before stopping the contest at 1:30 of the third round.
Hardy and Dean exchanged words after the fight, and the incident drew criticism and a UFC review. It was a public officiating dispute; it did not immediately end Hardy’s work with the promotion.
Hardy later said he stood by his concern that the referee had not intervened soon enough. The UFC’s official event report confirms the bout and its stoppage, while later reporting documents the confrontation.
A separate employment dispute
In 2021, Hardy said he was no longer working directly with the UFC after a disagreement with an employee. He later confirmed the promotion had released him from his fighter contract after he asked for the release.
Hardy had not competed since 2012 after being diagnosed with Wolff–Parkinson–White syndrome, and he had been cleared to compete in 2018. Despite discussing a possible return, he never re-entered the UFC anti-doping program.
The available reporting treats the staff disagreement and the earlier Herb Dean confrontation as separate events. The Fight Island exchange formed part of Hardy’s complicated relationship with the promotion, but it is not established as the sole cause of his departure.
Sources
- UFC: official Fight Island 3 results
- MMA Fighting: Hardy’s statement on the later dispute
- MMA Fighting: contract release
