It came as a shock when it was revealed that Dan Hardy was no longer working as an analyst or commentator with the UFC. Now he is asking for his complete release from the promotion, so he can fight somewhere else.
When Hardy revealed that he was looking to return to combat, fans were buzzing. He was forced to retire due to an apparent heart issue that he never had symptoms of, but wanted to fight again and face some massive names at welterweight.
However things got a bit murky when it was revealed that Dan was no longer employed by the UFC, in his role as a commentator and analyst. This led to questions as to what the future would look like for him, as far as his fight contract was concerned.
Dan Hardy Has Asked To Be Released
While Dan Hardy has been vocal about his desire to fight again, Dana White has been hesitant to let him. So when his contract was terminated with the promotion, there was thought that his fight contract would soon follow.
Speaking in a recent interview, Dan explained that they have not released him yet, but he has asked two different people to be let go of his contract with the promotion. That said, he has not heard back from anyone regarding this request.
“The only thing that’s happened is, I’ve asked two different people for my release from the UFC. Obviously with one contract coming to an end, it makes sense for me to leave with my fight contract as well,” Hardy said.
“So I’m currently trying to get my release from the UFC, so then I can start looking at other places. I’ve got a few ideas, and a few options that I’d like to consider. But it’s just getting ahold of someone. I might have to recruit Joshua Fabia to get someone’s attention at some point.”
Hardy goes on to explain that he has more concerns than just not getting offered a fight. He says that even the UFC did want to let him fight, he knows that he would not be given the types of fights he wants, against fellow legends and veterans.
“I think even if it got to the stage where I could get the UFC to give me an opponent, it’s not going to be one of the ones I want. They’re not matching veterans with veterans anymore. They’re matching veterans with the news guys coming up, so they can build the next name.
“I’m not interested in fighting someone that nobody knows,” Hardy continued. “Cowboy,’ Matt Brown, they would never in a million years give me the Nick Diaz fight. They’ll use Nick Diaz to build somebody else up, and I just don’t want to be in that situation. Plus my fight contract is 8 years old, so you can imagine the numbers on it.”
Moving To RIZIN or ONE Championship?
So as he looks to get released by the UFC, Dan Hardy is weighing his different options for what could be next. It seems like he is not just interested in a change in promotion, either.
He went on to explain that he is keeping his options open, but he is quite interested in fighting somewhere like Japan, under RIZIN or ONE Championship. On top of that, he is giving thought to moving from his typical welterweight home, and potentially going as high as 205lb.
“I’d love to fight in Japan, I’ve always been a big fan of Japan. RIZIN and ONE Championship are doing amazing things,” Hardy said.
“As soon as that UFC deal closed, so many other doors opened. And different options, not even just MMA, I’ve got other things I would consider as well. The world’s much bigger than I actually realized I think.
“So now I’ve started looking at these other organizations and different weight classes as well,” Hardy continued. “I could jump into some of these at middleweight or light heavyweight and fancy my chances. We’ll see what happens.”
It will be interesting to see what happens next with Dan Hardy. It is clear that he and the UFC are not a great fit anymore, and it will be exciting to see where he ends up.
