"It was clearly a movie slap" - Dan Hardy believes Will Smith slapping Chris Rock at the Oscars was staged

The internet has been abuzz over Will Smith's on-stage slap of comedian Chris Rock at the 94th Academy Awards on Sunday. However, Dan Hardy believes that it was a scripted act.

Taking to his social media, the former UFC welterweight wrote:

"It blows my mind that people think that #WillSmith actually slapped #ChrisRock... It was clearly a movie slap."

The unpredictable moment took place after Chris Rock compared the actor’s wife, Jada Pinkett-Smith, who suffers from alopecia, to 'G.I. Jane' due to her appearance. This was just minutes before Will Smith won his first Oscar for his role in King Richard.

The incident completely changed the energy of the room and left fans questioning online if the slap was a scripted move or a legitimate one.

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Dan Hardy on Leon Edwards' chances against Kamaru Usman

Dan Hardy recently appeared on The MMA Hour with Ariel Helwani and weighed-in on the expected title bout between Kamaru Usman and Leon Edwards.

'The Outlaw' highlighted the improvements made by both fighters sinc etheir first meeting and suggested that the 30-year-old British standout is in a much better position to deal with the wrestling threat of 'The Nigerian Nightmare' this time around.

Dan Hardy said:

"He [Leon Edwards] is very skilled and a very intelligent fighter. I think that works against him sometimes. He kind of over analyzes circumstances and holds back but in the moments when you see him shine, he looks incredible. I think this is a good opportunity against Usman. He is very familiar with Usman. I think Usman's striking has improved so much that he's going to become more confident now than he was previously to fight Leon on the feet. I think Leon's takedown's defense and grappling skills have come to a point where he's not going to feel too smothered by Usman if he hits the floor."

Catch Dan Hardy's full interview on The MMA Hour below:

Since losing to Kamaru Usman back in December 2015, Leon Edwards has gone on a 10-fight unbeaten run, which includes one no-contest. His most recent win came over Nate Diaz at UFC 263 in June 2021.

The Brit will now finally have the opportunity to get his long-awaited rematch against the Usman, who has run through the division since becoming the champion. 'The Nigerian Nightmare' has made five successful title defenses since dethroning Tyron Woodley in March 2019.

Not only has the champ been able to utilize his wrestling abilities to continue his rise, but he has become a legitimate knockout threat in the division, too.