HARDMAN’S RETURN TO RING
YOU only need to compare how Issac Hardman comprehends a defeat to realise how far he has come in the past seven years. When he allowed the emotions to get the better of him in his last bout against Michael Zerafa, the ‘Headsplitter’ had not suffered a loss since his MMA fighting days.
On that fateful occasion, he fled to Thailand, worried he had lost part of his identity. That has all changed, and the Australian middleweight contender has sent a message to Zerafa.
He wants another piece of him, and the result will not be the same. Hardman will step into the ring for the first time since that controversial clash as the co-main event of Jai Opetaia’s world cruiserweight title pursuit on the Gold Coast. That clash with Zerafa was marred by racism allegations thrown at him from the other corner, a suggestion he has vehemently denied and inspired a press conference brawl prior to the pair trading fists. Hardman admits on that occasion he did not believe the emotions would get the better of him, especially given he was the one who called
“I’m still gunning for Zerafa, I still want that fight.” Issac Hardman
out the now IBF world number two ranked middleweight.
He had sparred more than 100 rounds with Tim Tszyu in the lead up, the physical work had been done. But for all his words in the lead up, ultimately the emotions did in fact better him.
“The press conference was crazy, it was a room full of 60 people and it was me and my coach left out to dry. We literally had to fight our way out of that venue with punches,” Hardman said.
“I was doing interviews the day of the fight saying the emotion was yesterday, it stemmed from a racial accusation and the punch on and stuff like that was not going to affect my fight.
“But I remember saying to (my trainer) Blair (Studley) right before I got in the ring ‘ I’m going to walk straight up to (him) and punch his head in’. That’s essentially exactly what I tried to do — I didn’t throw a single jab, I walked straight up to him and tried to biff him and it didn’t work out.
“I’m still gunning for Zerafa, I still want that fight. That’s the best fight here in Australia … I won’t be fighting him at a press conference next time around. When you get two personalities in the media people love it, so I’m sure it will get done again but I want to earn the rematch, I don’t want to be gifted the rematch.”
Hardman’s first steps towards earning that shot will come on July 2 when he takes on the unheralded Beau Hartas at the Gold Coast Exhibition and Convention Centre.
Little is known about the 6-1-0 larrikin out of the ACT, with the only footage Hardman has been able to find on him a video from 2012 in which he sculls six VBS in 60 seconds.
It may not have been what Hardman was hunting for, but it earnt his respect and changed the dynamic of his preparation completely.
“This is a sport where you can’t go in underprepared, you’re watching for sure – you’d be stupid if you didn’t. But there’s nothing on him, there’s a few interviews but I can’t find a fight on this bloke,” Hardman said.
“I can’t knock the bloke, he was the only guy in the division who was taking the fight. He’s had a bit of a lay off with Covid and had another baby I think and he’s raring to go, he jumped at the opportunity. I’m excited to piece the puzzle together on the night in front of him, I’ve never had to do that.”
Since his defeat to Zerafa in April, Hardman has set about learning from the emotional misgivings that cost him.
The biggest change over the past two months since his second round stoppage has been dealing with such setbacks.