UFC analysis guru, Ex-UFC welterweight contender and all round badass Dan ‘The Outlaw’ Hardy wants one more MMA fight. He recently spoke with MMANytt and said that he’d ideally like to make a comeback this year and try to fight on the November Madison Square Garden card; he’d also like his comeback scrap to be contested in the fabled UFC 165lb weight class and the fight must be against a big-name opponent. So, who could Dan Hardy face in his final outing? MiddleEasy decided to scour the internet’s MMA archives to come up with an opponent for “The Outlaw”.
1) Sage Northcutt
“Super” Sage Northcutt has been cuddling his way into the hearts of many MMA fans across the globe since his UFC debut in 2015; In three years Northcutt has managed to build a huge social media following of over 673,000 people on his Instagram account alone. That certainly gives Hardy a big-name opponent. Sage is no slouch in the octagon either he is also currently riding a two-fight win streak with impressive performances over Thibault Gouti & Michel Quiñones; Hardy VS Northcutt is a fight that would definitely excite MMA fans.
2) Carlos Condit
Carlos Condit’s career is currently going through a bit of a rough patch, he’s (2-7) in his last nine fights. Condit’s last win came nearly three years ago when he finished Thiago Alves via doctor stoppage at the end of the 2nd round (Though many people think he beat Robbie Lawler back at UFC 195). What better way for Condit to bounce back from the losses than with a fight with Hardy; an opponent he previously finished and one who hasn’t fought in nearly seven years. As for Hardy; he is offered a shot at redemption against the only opponent to ever knock him out. Hardy VS Condit is a fight that would excite both the hard-core fan base and casual fans.
3) Dillon Danis
Dillion “El Jefe” Danis is currently one of MMAs largest super villains; his antics outside of the cage have made many fans pray for his downfall. He recently made his pro MMA debut on Bellator 198 by defeating Kyle Walker in 98 seconds. Danis seems to be committed to fighting in Bellator yet there’s always the possibility of a one-time UFC crossover fight against Hardy. It’s a fight where most of the MMA world would be rooting for “The Outlaw” to humble Danis and it would gain a lot of viewers if promoted correctly.
1-0 🤫 pic.twitter.com/od5XBrlX0M
— Dillon Danis (@dillondanis) April 29, 2018
4) Matt Brown
Hardy was originally scheduled to fight “The Immortal” Matt Brown way back in 2013 but the fight got scrapped due to Hardy being diagnosed with Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome. Five years later; Matt Brown is coming off a vicious ‘Hell-Bow’ knockout over fan favourite Diego Sanchez. Brown was also scheduled to face Carlos Condit in April yet pulled out of the fight due to a horrifying ACL injury.
(Check out Brown’s busted knee/ACL injury here)
Brown intends to retire after his next fight; as does Hardy. Hardy VS Brown would be a fantastic final fight for both warriors involved.