Harry Hardwick

When and why did you start training for fighting? When I was a teenager and it was mainly because me and my brother fought too much at home so I guess if we were doing it in a gym, it could be considered productive.

What professional titles have you held? Combat Challenge pro K1 bantamweight title, Made4TheCage featherweight title and the Cage Warriors featherweight world title
Any accomplishments in amateur combat sports? Other than a regional belt, not really

Any belts/ranks in grappling disciplines? Brown belt in BJJ

What has been your toughest fight to date and why? I've had a bunch of horrible, exhausting fights where I've had to push through a rough first round, but the fight against Federico Pasquali was an incredibly rough one. I got dropped badly and nearly knocked out in round 1 and somehow managed to pull myself out of the fire and win the next two rounds after taking a silly amount of damage

Who is your favorite fighter and why? Genki Sudo. Even though I don't try to copy his style at all, he's the embodiment of fighting being a form of expression, and there are endless possibilities of what is effective in combat

What was your job before you started fighting? I worked in my Dad's cafe for a long time, and then I was a support worker for people with learning difficulties and mental health problems

Do you have any heroes outside of fighting? Bob Mortimer. Boro lad, absolute legend.

Is there a cause that you want to use your platform for? I want to elevate MMA for people in Middlesbrough and Teesside, there were very few opportunities for fighters out of Middlesbrough when I started, if it weren't for my coach Abdul Mohammed there would have been none. I look to keep that going and make sure every successive generation of fighters has more opportunities than the last.

Beyond a championship or money, what motivates you? The act of improving at MMA in itself is incredibly motivating

Did you go to college and if so what degree did you earn? I did not

What was your job before you started fighting? I worked in my Dad's cafe for a long time, and then I was a support worker for people with learning difficulties and mental health problems

Origin of nickname: The nickname Houdini comes from a fight against talented BJJ black belt Robbie Fallon, where I got put in basically every submission under the sun in round 1, losing that round badly, but surviving the onslaught of subs, and then I knocked him out almost as soon as round 2 started. I got submitted next fight so probably a stupid nickname

Personal Life/Background: I don't have kids. I've got a girlfriend named Holly and we are looking to buy our first house together. My brother is a pro MMA fighter, as well, he is George Hardwick, former Cage Warriors champ and he made an appearance on the Contender Series

Who are 3 people you'd love to meet or work with? I would love to meet GSP, he's an absolute boyo; not sure if there is any single person who changed the technical landscape of MMA more than he did. I'd love to meet Juninho, the greatest player Middlesbrough Football Club has ever had. He actually brought magic to Teesside. My hero is Bob Mortimer, Boro lad and scientifically the funniest human to ever exist

What are your hobbies, activities or other interests when not training for a fight? I just love MMA. I used to be a big gamer but with balancing my own training, being a coach myself at Middlesbrough Fight Academy and having a girlfriend I don't really get much time to play videogames anymore, but I love Tekken, Resident Evil, Devil May Cry and Doom. The Teesside Parmo is the greatest food on earth and that's a fact