Dan Hardy has found his ideal opponent for his return to MMA. Now he’s just waiting for the UFC to make it official.
In his prime, Hardy was known as one of the most exciting fighters in the game. His penchant for engaging in stand-up wars made him an instant fan favorite, and victories over names like Marcus Davis and Mike Swick quickly earned him a shot at UFC welterweight king Georges St-Pierre. Though he was dominated on the ground throughout that fight, Hardy never tapped out despite being put in a number of compromising positions, further cementing his place in fans hearts. That loss was the first of four straight, which infamously lead to former UFC boss Lorenzo Fertitta to declare that the organization would never release Hardy thanks to his style. After rebounding with victories over Duane Ludwig and Amir Sadollah, ‘The Outlaw’ was forced to put his career on hold in 2012 after being diagnosed with a rare heart condition called Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome.
Rumors of Hardy’s return have come and gone through the years, but have never gained as much traction as they have in recent months. The soon to be 39-year-old knows that the window is closing for him to make his comeback, but also knows that it can’t be against just anyone, saying as much in a recent tweet. Fellow welterweight and UFC fan darling Matt Brown was quick to offer up his services to welcome Hardy back.
If it’s going to happen, I need it to be someone worthwhile… I’m not doing all of this preparation to fight some bum.
I need names and faces…
— Dan Hardy (@danhardymma) February 18, 2021
A fight against Brown seemingly checks all the boxes Hardy could ask for in his return. While Brown is no longer the fighter he was during his unprecedented run from 2012 to 2014, he is still a known commodity who would be willing to test his striking against Hardy. In a follow-up tweet, Hardy said he is willing to make the fight happen, and is just waiting for the call from the UFC.
A fight between the two legends is sure to be one fight fans would circle on their calendars. If Hardy is able to get medical clearance, the UFC would be fools not to put it together. But, getting the thumbs up from a doctor to allow him back in the cage has proven to be difficult for Hardy in the past, so we should probably wait for official word before getting our hopes too high.
Who do you think wins between Dan Hardy and Matt Brown? Let us know!