The Ifrit Fight is Dangerous to the Community.

[Quanta]

There wasn't an "easy version of the hard mode" though.

So, moot point.

Sure there was; it was called Normal Mode, and it was tuned to be beaten by the same endgame players as the hard mode. I'm not saying that the OP shouldn't have to level other classes to clear content (he totally should), or that he should be able to get lesser Ifrit weapons from an easier version of the fight (he totally shouldn't), though I do think there's merit in having a normal mode for the majority to at least see whatever cutscenes will await them at the end of this kind of content (though I'm not sure Ifrit hard has anything like that; our LS is still on attempts), and a hard mode version for the people who want that extra challenge and some bitchin' weapons.