From video games to MMA: George and Harry Hardwick talk about gaming, diet and more | MMA News – The Times of India

George and Harry Hardwick. Image Credit: Cage Warriors

George and Harry Hardwick, the MMA brothers on rise, are leaving their impact across the British promotion, Cage Warriors. Harry Hardwick, also known as the Houdini, is the featherweight champion, while George Hardwick, known as the King, is a lightweight champion. With an 11-win streak, Harry has over time proved that he is one of the best featherweight champions outside the UFC. In a recent interview with the BBC, the Hardwick brothers talk about how gaming has actually helped them improve their fights.

George and Harry Hardwick focus on the influence of gaming on the minds of combat sports athletes

The Hardwick brother talks about how games have had a great impact on their fight skills and reflective ability. While the interview was being conducted, there were numerous games in their room, which included Killer 7, The Thing and Half-Life and others. Among them, the one game that really influenced them and helped them build their careers in the combat sports was Tekken.
“There’s always been something geared in our brains towards games and actually for a job now, we do boss fights. That’s essentially what we do for a living – we have boss fights.” Harry stated in the interview.
The duo believes that during leisure time, fighters should play games instead of surfing across social media. This would help the athletes develop strong responses and defenses against their opponents.
“Anyone who does mixed martial arts or any sport give this a try – don’t go on social media when you’re chilling, play some video games. Play some Nija Gaiden, Tekken, Dark Souls, whatever it is. And when you train, your mind is so much sharper”
George went on to cite the examples of American fighters who have claimed to learn certain combinations by playing the UFC video game and implement them later in their fights.
“There’s a reason why Demetrius Johnson, Sean O’Malley and Max Holloway clock so many hours in video games.” George said and further added, “There’s times we’ll say Demon’s Wrath on pads – it’s a move from the command list on Tekken. It’s left high kick to jab, to right low kick to left body shot,”
Apart from talking about the importance of gaming in their combat careers, the duo also talked about the pattern of diet followed by each one of them. George claims to have a higher appetite than Harry which landed him on a higher weight class than the latter.
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Like most other Cage Warrior fighters who have evolved over time and moved to UFC, the Hardwick brothers have the same aim. In 2023, George lost to Abdul-Kareem Al-Selwady at the Dana White’s Contender Series, thereby losing the opportunity to sign with UFC. However, the brothers have not lost their hope yet and aspires to try again in the near future. With a good gym and decent training partners, the duo claims to be conte with their life right now.