Johnson-Hardy on Tap for UFC Fight Night in Seattle

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Heavy-handed Anthony Johnson will likely meet British bomber Dan Hardy in a welterweight duel at UFC Fight Night 24, an as-yet-unannounced event reportedly scheduled for March 26 in Seattle.

Speaking with sources close to the matchup, Sherdog.com has confirmed that the bout has been agreed to in principle, though contracts have yet to be signed. The potential match-up was first reported by MMAFighting.com on Sunday.

Johnson’s last appearance inside the Octagon came over one year ago, at UFC 106, where “Rumble” lost a foul-marred affair to top contender Josh Koscheck. The “Ultimate Fighter 1” alum caught Johnson’s back and submitted him in the second frame via rear-naked choke.

Johnson was slated to face John Howard in March, but the 26-year-old suffered a torn meniscus in training and was forced to withdraw from the contest. In an interview with Sherdog.com earlier this week, Johnson relayed that he was back to 100 percent and ready for his next fight. Stationed at Cung Le’s Universal Strength Headquarters in San Jose, Calif., Johnson has gone 5-3 during his UFC stint.

Hardy’s last two trips inside the cage have not been pleasant, as the Englishman suffered back-to-back defeats after running off four victories to start his UFC career. Most recently, the Team Rough House product fell to a vicious Carlos Condit left hook in the first round of their co-main event bout at UFC 120 in London. Prior to that defeat, Hardy was grounded and pounded by reigning champion Georges St. Pierre at UFC 111 in March.