Despite the widespread support from the French fans Harry Hardwick suffered a crushing loss in his UFC debut.
On Saturday, the premier promotion returned to the French capital for another UFC Paris Fight Night, headlined by Nassourdine Imavov and Caio Borralho.
Another French contender who was scheduled to compete on the card was lightweight fighter Fares Ziam, who was scheduled to take on Kaue Fernandes.
However, just a few days out from the fight, Ziam devastatingly withdrew after the passing of his grandmother, and Cage Warriors featherweight champion Harry Hardwick stepped in on just four days’ notice.
Hardwick leaves cage in wheelchair after brutal leg kick KO loss
During his career on the regional scene in the UK, Hardwick has grown a very passionate fanbase, and they were extremely vocal during his inaugural UFC walkout.
Not only that, but his Brazilian opponent was greeted by a chorus of boos by the French fans, who made it an extremely hostile environment for him.
Despite that, the atmosphere didn’t affect Fernandes who began the fight the far better of the two, using his karate style to land jabs and calf kicks on his English opponent.
In typical Hardwick fashion, he attempted to walk Fernandes down to tire on him, but every time he moved forward, he dropped his hands and was met with a stiff jab.
Fernandes continued to chop at the lead leg of Hardwick and it resulted in a stance switch pretty early on as his calf began to turn red.
After landing several more calf kicks, Fernandes dropped the former Cage Warriors featherweight champion, but showcasing his heart, Hardwick made it back up to his feet.
However, after making it back up to his feet, Fernandes landed another huge calf kick not long after and Hardwick once again went tumbling down to the ground rolling around in agony, and Herb Dean stepped in to stop the fight.
What’s next for Kaue Fernandes?
As soon as the final kick landed, it was clear Hardwick was in incredible pain. After attempting to make it back to his feet, he had to immediately sit back down as he struggled to stand on his feet.
The Brit was subsequently wheel-chaired out of the Octagon, marking the end of his disappointing debut.
For Fernandes, though, that marked his third win in a row, all coming in impressive fashion. With just a few more wins, the Brazilian will likely find himself fighting a ranked opponent at 155lbs.
With UFC Rio de Janeiro coming in October, it would make sense for the promotion to re-book Fernandes vs Ziam to take place on that event.