Saturday night, George “Rush” St. Pierre will face one of his toughest opponents in Dan “The Outlaw” Hardy in the main event of UFC 111. However, since the announcement, Hardy has received harsh criticism because of his quick ascent up the welterweight ladder. Many feel there are other fighters in the division who are more deserving this opportunity. So let’s take a look at how the other top welterweights measure up to Hardy.

First is Josh Koscheck. Following his impressive submission of Anthony Johnson at UFC 106, Koscheck didn’t hide the fact that he felt he was the #1 contender, not Hardy. Since his stint on the first season of The Ultimate Fighter, Koscheck has made it known that he is a contender in the division. Although he has had proved himself as a threat to anyone at 170 pounds, he has fallen to St. Pierre before. Koscheck will have a chance to prove himself once and for all as he is rumored to take on British striker Paul Daley at UFC 113.

Next is Jon Fitch. Fitch has impressed everyone since his debut in the UFC. He bears only one loss on his record, which was to GSP. His fight with the champ was completely one sided as GSP beat Fitch in every aspect of his game. Fitch has turned things around since that loss and has earned unanimous decisions in his last three fights. Fitch was originally set to face Thiago Alves at UFC 111 in the highly anticipated rematch to possibly determine the next contender for the welterweight title. Unfortunately, Alves was forced off the card due to brain irregularities found in a pre-fight CAT scan. Fitch is now fighting Ben Saunders on the same card.

Last is Thiago Alves. Alves has been a very dominant fighter in the last few years. With his wins over Karo Parisyan and former champion Matt Hughes, Alves earned his shot at St. Pierre. Going into the fight, Alves was thought to be the one to give the champion one of his toughest tests, however, like Fitch, he fell to the dominance of the champ. My thoughts and prayers are with Alves as his future is unsure at the moment.

So there it is. Those of you who feel Hardy isn’t deserving of his title shot, he is the only top welterweight who hasn’t challenged St. Pierre yet. His determination is unmatched and his superior striking poses a serious threat to the champ. Tune in to UFC 111 Saturday night and see for yourself.

Is Dan Hardy’s Title Shot Premature?
Is Dan Hardy’s Title Shot Premature?