Former UFC welterweight title challenger and current part of UFC commentary team Dan Hardy said he is ready to come back to the fight game and would love to fight Matt brown.
Brown (22-18 MMA, 15-12 UFC) left the octagon with the latter result after dropping a competitive unanimous decision to Condit (32-13 MMA, 9-9 UFC) in their Jan. 16 co-main event matchup at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi.
At 40, and with a welterweight record of 27 UFC appearances to his credit, it wouldn’t be a stunner if Brown decided he was done. He’s already hung up his gloves once but said he currently has no intentions to do it again. The outcome of the Condit fight has led Brown to think he has a lot more to offer.
“I retired a few years ago, and then when I came back the primary motivator was just a prizefighter and make some more money, but since I’ve come back, I’ve loved the whole process again,” Brown told MMA Junkie Radio. “(I’ve) fell in love with it more again. I’ve kind of seen how good that I can be and the skills that I can – the skills have grown so much. I think I have a lot more in me. I think I can do a lot bigger things than I’ve ever done before.”
Dan Hardy wants to come back
On the other hand, Dan Hardy has been teasing a comeback for years, and it appears that he may be closer than ever to pull the trigger now that he has a fitting opponent for his comeback fight. After putting out his nearly annual teasers of a comeback on social media, Hardy decided to be more specific on what it will take for him to finalize his return to competition.
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…
☠️#LineThemUp☠️
— Dan Hardy (@danhardymma) February 18, 2021
At the height of his MMA career, England’s Hardy was known as one of the most exciting welterweights in the game. Unfortunately, Hardy was sidelined since 2012 because of the discovery that he has a rare but generally innocuous heart disorder called Wolff–Parkinson–White syndrome. While Hardy has settled into a role as an MMA analyst and UFC commentator, he’s never given up on his hopes of fighting again and was recently medically cleared to do so.
In recent weeks, Dan stated that he wants to come back and was looking for an opponent. Brown was quick to catch to respond to this and showed his interest in welcoming Hardy.
https://t.co/7uouNt9AiP pic.twitter.com/cMsRKChl9S
— Matt Brown (@IamTheImmortal) February 19, 2021
After a week and no update on if Hardy would accept Brown’s proposal, a fan inquired about the status of the potential fight. Hardy would then state that the only thing between him and a return fight against Matt Brown is now the UFC.
I’m waiting on the call from the UFC. Ready to accept.
— Dan Hardy (@danhardymma) February 26, 2021
Dan is known as one of the pioneers of English MMA. He made his UFC debut in 2008 and went on to have a successful four-year run in the promotion. He got off to a 4-0 start in the promotion before earning his first and only welterweight title shot against Georges St-Pierre at UFC 111. This would mark the beginning of a four-fight skid for him, but he was able to finish his career on a high note, with two consecutive wins over Duane Ludwig and Amir Sadollah in 2012. Hardy would then turn to a career in broadcasting as a commentator and analyst, where he continues to this day.
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