Dan Hardy Calls Out Diego Sanchez For Lightweight Return

Dan Hardy vs Diego Sanchez? “The Outlaw” is looking for a lightweight return against “The Nightmare”….

Former UFC welterweight title challenger Dan Hardy has been out of action for two years now. Having last fought at UFC on Fuel TV 5, “The Outlaw” was diagnosed with Wolff–Parkinson–White syndrome. The medical condition affects the heart, and so he has not been cleared to fight since the diagnosis, although he frequently hints at a UFC return in the future.

Currently serving as commentator for UFC Fight Pass events, Hardy could easily sink in to a cushy non-fighting position. Speaking during a recent interview with MMANYTT, and transcribed by MMAMania, “The Outlaw” is determined to fight again, but in a lower weight class:

“My natural weight has leveled out to about 178. Even if I go back to fight at welterweight I wouldn’t be a great deal bigger than I am now. I think lightweight would be a great challenge for me. I think there are a lot of good fighters at that weight class, a lot of good kick boxers so I could have some good fights. He’s always kind of irritated me. I like Diego, I respect him and I forgive him for his strangeness, but in my opinion he’s kind of the problem with mixed martial arts. He started off as a really good fighter and he’s just slowly gotten worse throughout his career. That is the opposite to how martial artists should develop.”

Diego Sanchez has become somewhat of an icon in the sport of MMA, mainly for his ability to absorb freakish amounts of punishment. “The Nightmare” has gone 5-5 in his last 10. It’s hard to remember a time when Sanchez was actually a 17-0 title prospect. Most recently robbing Ross Pearson at UFC Fight Night 42, Sanchez looks like a complete transformation of his old, unbeatable self. Hardy continues:

“He’s discarded technique, he’s discarded logic and intelligence and he’s gone with hard-headedness and blocking punches with his face. That is not a good example for future mixed martial artists. I just feel like, particularly with my fighting style and how it’s developing the last couple of years, I think that I could really expose him and hopefully teach him something about the martial arts and where he’s gone wrong.”

Well, would anyone be interested in seeing Dan Hardy vs Diego Sanchez? Check out the full interview with “The Outlaw” below, and stay tuned to LowKick.com!