Former UFC Title Contender Dan Hardy Contemplating One Last Octagon Bout at MSG

Former Ultimate Fighting Championship welterweight contender turned color commentator Dan Hardy is contemplating one final fight inside the Octagon.

Hardy’s last professional fight was in September 2012 when he defeated “The Ultimate Fighter” Season 7 winner Amir Sadollah at UFC on Fuel TV: Struve vs. Miocic.

The 35 year-old was at the peak of his powers in 2009 when he earned a title fight against arguably the greatest welterweight of all time in Georges St. Pierre at UFC 111. “The Outlaw” couldn’t handle the wrestling of “GSP” and was thoroughly outclassed losing via unanimous decision.

Hardy recently talked with MMANytt about competing inside the Octagon for one final fight, but at a smaller weight class and only if he can land a named fighter.

“If I was gonna come back, I’d want a name,” said Hardy. “There’s a lot of guys in the lightweight division I would look at, there’s a lot of guys in the welterweight division I would look at. If I had my own choice I would take a fight at 161 [pounds] or 162 [pounds] and have that as a new weight class. There’s a need for a weight class in between those two weight classes and part of the resistance is Dana [White] doesn’t want to move the welterweight division to 175 [pounds], and I absolutely agree but that 161/162 weight class would be perfect for the guys moving up to welterweight or down to lightweight. For me, I would fight anybody in that weight class.”

In 2013, Hardy was diagnosed with the heart disorder, Wolff–Parkinson–White Syndrome and removed from a scheduled bout against Matt Brown. He’s now become a color commentator when the UFC hold events in Europe.

Hardy has said if he does come back he wants it to be in the world famous Madison Square Garden when the UFC return there in November.

“I like Madison Square Garden,” said Hardy. “I know there’s a November card coming up and there’s still time to get on that. If the offer is right, and everything moves in that direction, if not, maybe early next year.”

The UFC’s return to MSG is scheduled for Nov. 10, which will allow Hardy to prepare himself for the arduous USADA testing pool required for all fighters on the UFC roster.

“I need to do the four-month USADA testing pool and the likelihood is I’ve got one more fight so I’m in no massive rush to get back into that,” said Hardy. “It’s a very intrusive program which I like as a fan, as an analyst, and as a member of the UFC staff but as a fighter, I don’t need people knocking on my door at 5 o’clock in the morning knocking on my door and asking me to pee in a cup, but I will do it for one more fight when the time is right.”