Gall calls out Dan Hardy

The most wasted minutes in mixed martial arts aren’t in front of an Xbox. The biggest waste of opportunity is when the color commentator walks up to a fighter who has just won. Fan excitement is at a feverish pitch.

The fighter typically stops flexing on top of the cage and with a mic in his face thanks his coaches, God, and family. The smartest fighters, like Chael Sonnen and Tyron Woodley say who they want to fight, and when, and give the fans some reason to want to too.

Mikey Gall is another smart fighter.

With UFC president cageside filming an episode of Lookin’ for a Fight Gall won his very first pro debut, and called out CM Punk.

“Okay,” said White, after some deliberation.

Gall was given a fight on the under undercard of UFC Fight Night 82, to see if he could handle the big show jitters. Gall won that in 45 seconds. Then Gall beat CM Punk in 2:14 at UFC 203.

Punk was still trying to remember his own name after UFC 203 when Mickey Gall was doing another call out. This time he was looking for a fight with fellow Lookin’ For A Fight find lightweight ‘Super’ Sage Northcutt.

This might sound like a gimmicky fight but I’m no gimmick, said Gall immediately after beating Punk. I want ‘Super’ Sage Northcutt next. I think that kid’s corny. I’m going to punch the spikes out of his hair.”

“Okay,” said White, after some deliberation.

At UFC Fight Night 22, Gall choked the spikes out of Northcutt and did it again. This time he wants Dan Hardy.

‘The Outlaw’ entered the UFC in 2010 at welterweight and went on a four-fight winning streak. Then he went on a four-fight losing streak, but the company believed in him, and the excitement he brings to every fight. Almost uniquely in the history of the promotion at the time, he was not released from his contract.

Then in 2012 he beat Duane Ludwig and Amir Sadollah, and was back on track. Then disaster struck.

The martial artist was diagnosed with Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome, a genetic condition that the Mayo Clinic defines as the presence of an extra, abnormal electrical pathway in the heart that leads to periods of a very fast heartbeat. In most cases, the episodes of fast heartbeats aren’t life-threatening, but serious heart problems can occur.

The syndrome causes most patients to have heart palpitations and a rapid heartbeat. Hardy, however, is symptom-free, with a resting pulse rate of 42, and a maximum of 200. The Outlaw decided to forgo surgery, but commissions and his employer feared for his safety in the absence of surgery.

In 2014 he transitioned very ably into a color commentating role. However, he continued training, with a particular emphasis on Yoga. During that process, he dropped significantly in weight, and would likely fight at lightweight.

In September Hardy, now 34, said he is still trying to fight.

I have actually started the process of getting cleared now,” he said. I’m going to have to see where the sport is.”

Gall had teased his callout, and after beating Sage Northcutt like a brown belt vs. a blue belt, he said he wanted to drop to lightweight, and wanted to welcome Dan Hardy back to the Octagon.

Finally Gall offered his closing words – “Jersey baby, what’s up!”

And then Hardy responded, a little engimatically.

Was he old enough to watch the @UFC when I was still fighting? 😂

— Dan Hardy (@danhardymma) December 18, 2016