"I still think I'm in my 20s" - Returning Dan Hardy undeterred about being away from the fight game for almost a decade

Dan Hardy appears to be undaunted about his comeback fight with Diego Sanchez, despite having been out of the cage for nearly a decade.

'The Outlaw', in a recent interview with TheMacLife, revealed that he is fully prepared for his long-awaited clash. Furthermore, he asserted that his long-term absence from combat sports will not make much of a difference in his performance.

Speaking on his preparedness for the upcoming fight, the Englishman said:

"This is it. I mean, of course. You know, there are certain things that you need to have, your timing, but you can get that from sparring. I have been immersed in the fight game ever since. It wasn't like I stepped away and just disappeared. I mean, I have been obsessing about combat sports ever since my last fight and before. So... it doesn't feel like 10 years, it's crazy. I feel like I'm couple years down the line... I still think I'm in my 20s in my head as well [chuckles]."

You can check out the entire conversation in the video below:

Dan Hardy is all set to square off against former UFC contender Diego Sanchez in an eight-round exhibition boxing match on July 2 at the AO Arena in Manchester, England.

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Dan Hardy explains why a fight with Diego Sanchez is a good idea

Hardy has been teasing a return to combat sports for years now. After confirming his comeback matchup against Sanchez, the former UFC welterweight title challenger revealed why his fight with 'The Nightmare' was always on the cards.

In a video uploaded to his YouTube channel Full Reptile, the Nottingham native stated:

“Diego and I have been on a bit of a collision course for a long while. I think it was back in like 2006 when we got a face-off when we were fighting in Holland. It’s always been on the cards. I mean, we’ve always been in the same weight class. He was slightly ahead of me in his UFC career."

Furthermore, he said:

“So, like, as I signed with the UFC, I was watching him fight the likes of Clay Guida at the Pearl at the Palms. I’ve got some good memories of Diego’s fights. You know what you’re going to get with him. He’s an animal. He comes to scrap every time.”

Continuing on, Dan Hardy also claimed that the two would be able to “beat the hell out of each other” and “have a lot of fun with it.”

You can check out Hardy discuss his fight against Sanchez in the video below: