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Former Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Welterweight title challenger Dan Hardy has only been knocked out once in his entire mixed martial arts (MMA) career, which came at the hands of Carlos Condit way back in 2010.
While “The Outlaw” has since retired and now works as a commentator for Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), seeing Condit return to the win column after five years at UFC Fight Island 4 really got his own fire burning again. That’s why he would definitely not turn down the chance to rematch “The Natural Born Killer” in an effort to get revenge.
“Yea, absolutely I would. Of course. It’s the only time I’ve ever been stopped with strikes in a fight, and as a striker that was rather embarrassing. I laughed at it at the time, but when I look back at it I’m like, ‘That was stupid of me,’ Hardy said during a recent media scrum in Abu Dhabi.
Despite not having the best run over the past five years, Condit looked like his old self in his win over Court McGee, according to Hardy. And he quickly reminded everyone of the old Condit who once wore UFC gold.
“He looked great the other night and that’s really what I wanted to see from him, because I genuinely do believe that he’s up there with the Nick Diaz, [Jorge] Masvidal-kind of guys in this division. He’s a lethal individual,” he added.
“He’s a Natural Born Killer. He’s a great striker, he’s very unorthodox, and he’s back in a place psychologically — as well as physically — where he looks like he can have some good fights. And who would not want payback for the only person that knocked them out? Absolutely.”
Of course, “The Outlaw” hasn’t competed since 2012 after being diagnosed with Wolff-Parkinson-White Syndrome, a condition in which there is an abnormal extra electrical pathway of the heart, leading to rapid heart rate.
He ended his career with two straight wins but never mounted the comeback many fight fans were eagerly looking forward to. Now eight years removed from his last UFC fight, does a rematch between Hardy and Condit do anything for you?
Or do you prefer this do-over?