Dan Hardy’s return to MMA imminent

by Dane McGuire

 

Dan “The Outlaw” Hardy is no longer affiliated with the UFC in any capacity. Following a disagreement with a UFC employee, Hardy was first removed from the promotion’s broadcast. Most recently, he’d asked for a release from his UFC fighter contract.

 

Hardy confirmed his release to MMA Fighting Tuesday night. Initially, based on comments from Hardy directly, the process appears to be ongoing.

 

“The only thing that’s happened is I’ve asked two different people for my release from the UFC,” Hardy told Submission Radio earlier this week. “Because obviously with one contract coming to an end, it would make sense for me to leave with my fight contract, as well. 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.”

 

Shortly after these comments were published by various media outlets, Hardy made the following post on Twitter, seemingly confirming his release.

 

 

Hardy, a one-time UFC welterweight title challenger against Georges St-Pierre, has not had an MMA bout since his unanimous decision victory against Amir Sadollah at UFC on Fuel TV: Struve vs. Miocic on September 29, 2012.

 

Hardy is looking to return to fighting and has previously expressed interest in working in Asia, either with RIZIN or ONE Championship.

 

Hardy had stepped away from competition due to medical issues. He had been diagnosed with Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome, a heart condition that can cause an abnormally fast heartbeat, palpitations, shortness of breath. In rare cases, cardiac arrest can occur as reported by MMA Fighting.

 

However, Hardy has been cleared to compete since 2018. He claimed at the time he’d be entering the UFC’s anti-doping program under the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency but reportedly never entered the testing pool.

 

“I’m not interested in fighting someone that nobody knows. Like, 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 what, eight years old? So, you can imagine the numbers on it. It’s rather embarrassing,” Hardy said recently about a return to action.

 

Hardy is currently a free agent.