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Former UFC welterweight title contender Dan Hardy, 38, last fought in 2012 against Amir Sadollah. Nicknamed 'Outlaw', Hardy retired from the sport due to a medical condition ahead of his bout opposite Matt Brown at UFC on Fox 7 in April of 2013.
Hardy was diagnosed with Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome, a medical condition where there lies an additional electrical pathway between the heart's chambers, resulting in a rapid heartbeat.
However, Dan Hardy denied getting treated since the syndrome never had any impact on his health condition. Some Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome symptoms include shortness of breath, chest pain, and anxiety, which Hardy never experienced.
Interestingly, Hardy was not aware of his condition before going through the mandatory medical examinations ahead of his fight against Matt Brown.
The California State Athltic Comission found him medically unfit to compete which forced Hardy to hang up his gloves, although not offically. Since then, the 38-year-old has been working as an analyst for major sports networks, including Sky Sports and Fox Sports, and also as a commentator with the UFC.
Will Dan Hardy make a comeback?
Dan Hardy never officially retired from MMA. In October 2018, Hardy told Sherdog.com that doctors medically cleared him to set foot inside the octagon once again. Speaking on Joe Rogan's podcast, The Outlaw also expressed his desire to re-enter in the USADA testing pool, which he hasn't, so far.
In September of 2020, Dan Hardy revealed that he might eye a return to MMA soon. Speaking to MMA Junkie, Hardy cited Ricardo Lamas and Frankie Edgar behind his motivation to continuing fighting.
"Frankie Edgar is still going at it. I mean, I felt like I was still in school when Frankie Edgar was making his UFC debut, and I’m pretty sure I’m older than him still. What we realise about MMA is that it’s a lot more down to IQ and experience... As much as I look at these guys and go "wow they’re still performing well at 38, 40, 42." I’m also looking at how much wear and tear they’ve got compared to me. So if and when I do decide to come back, someone’s gonna get it, and I don’t think people realize that.”
