Ex-UFC fighter and PFL official Dan Hardy announces he is ready for his comeback to the cage - "I’m gonna put someone to sleep"

UFC fighter-turned-analyst, Dan Hardy is truly a fighter at his core. Nearly a decade into retirement, the desire to put on the MMA gloves is still there and the ‘Outlaw’ is ready to throw down if there is a right opponent.

For the uninitiated, Dan Hardy never officially retired from the sport. Instead, retirement was forced upon him in 2013 when the Brit was diagnosed with Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome, a heart condition. Over the years, ‘Outlaw’ has made several attempts to make a comeback and expressed the desire to fight fellow legends like Carlos Condit and Nick Diaz, to name a few.

Dan Hardy recently posted a picture of him landing a left hand on fellow UFC veteran Mike Swick. The caption to the post hinted at Hardy’s potential return to the cage. He clarified the post during his appearance on the DAZN MMA Show.

Hardy has recently taken up a new role as the Head of Fighter Operations for PFL Europe. He explained that he spent the weekend attending PFL Europe 2 and witnessed several young fighters perform to the best of their ability.

“So yeah, certainly, I got that little tingle up my spine and that drive to start training again,” Hardy said on DAZN MMA Show.

You can watch Dan Hardy discuss the topic from 6:21 mark of the video below:

At the moment, the former UFC welterweight is not certain about his fighting future and refused to name any potential opponents. However, ‘Outlaw’ assured that he will be ready to capitalize on an opportunity if it presents itself.

“You know, maybe people don’t want to see Ronda Rousey back in there. Maybe people don’t want to see me back in there. But I love fighting and I’m never retiring. If the opponent’s right, and if the opportunity is right, I’m gonna put someone to sleep,” Hardy stated.

Dan Hardy is banned from UFC fight week activities

Upon retiring from the sport in 2013, Dan Hardy became one of the most respected MMA analysts and UFC commentators. However, an altercation with a UFC employee led to Hardy’s ousting from the UFC. Hardy has been involved in a public feud with the UFC and President Dana White since the incident.

The 41-year-old has been cornering his wife and UFC flyweight contender Veronica Macedo for the majority of her fights. However, 'Outlaw' was not seen with Macedo leading up to her UFC 286 clash with Juliana Miller.

In an interview with Petesy Carroll, Hardy stated that such bans are imposed depending upon the public visibility of feuding parties. According to Hardy, it varies on a case-by-case basis.

“I think as long as both people in the organization are public facing figures, I don’t think it’s that much of a problem in Dana [White’s] eyes,” Hardy told Petesy Carroll.

Dan Hardy has found his footing in the Professional Fighters League [PFL] as the Head of Fighter Operations for PFL Europe after his departure from the UFC. It will be interesting to see how he does upon returning to the cage.