Stepping into UFC Paris on short notice, former Cage Warriors champ Harry Hardwick was looking to make a splash against Kaue Fernandes.
Hardwick was filling in for Fares Ziam, who withdrew from the event due to the death of his grandmother. It might have been a foot in the door, but before long, Hardwick found himself taken off his feet, unable to stand up.
Fernandes opened strong, landing a crisp straight right and punishing Hardwick’s lead leg with heavy, thudding kicks. The strategy quickly paid off: each strike slowed Hardwick’s forward pressure and chipped away at his base. Before the round had even hit the halfway point, Hardwick was visibly compromised, struggling to stay upright. He managed to fire back with a pair of left hands in an effort to turn the tide, but the damage was done. He was dropped off a kick, got back up, but was hobbled. The scene became painful to watch. Another brutal kick to the leg dropped Hardwick once again, and he rolled on the canvas, unable to get up and leaving the referee no choice but to step in.
It was a moment before Hardwick could even get back on his stool; Fernandes, meanwhile, had the impressive TKO victory.
Official Result: Kaue Fernandes def. Harry Hardwick by TKO (leg kicks), Round 1, 3:21
