Screengrabs reveal that Dan Hardy's UFC 'hitlist' includes Conor McGregor
Dan Hardy has been eyeing a comeback fight to make his return to the Octagon. UFC veteran Matt Brown was on Hardy's radar until it was revealed that Brown is set to fight Dhiego Lima next.
Speaking to Submission Radio on YouTube, Dan Hardy revealed a 'hitlist' of fighters against whom the veteran would like to make a comeback. A screengrab from the interview, where Hardy can be seen holding a list of his favorable comeback options, was recently posted on the subreddit r/MMA.
It appears that the Diaz brothers are at the top of Dan Hardy's list. 'The Outlaw' mentioned on Submission Radio that the older of the Diaz brothers, Nick Diaz, sits at the top of his list for a comeback fight. Hardy flashed his 'hitlist' of 15 contenders and expressed his eagerness to compete against these fighters within the next couple of years.
A reddit user going by the username Agent_KD637 supposedly figured out the names on the blurry screenshot from the interview.
Conor McGregor is also featured on Dan Hardy's list of potential rivals. The Irishman has fought three times in the welterweight division, Hardy's weight bracket. It would be interesting to see if the Notorious one accepts the challenge to take on the 38-year-old fighter.
Last year, Conor McGregor proposed fighting UFC veteran Diego Sanchez, which Dana White reportedly refused to entertain.
Will Nick Diaz accept Dan Hardy's offer?
Nick Diaz's last UFC bout was a superfight against former middleweight champion Anderson Silva in 2015. Following the five round battle, Diaz tested positive for Cannabis and was eventually suspended for five years. Nick's suspension was lifted in 2016.
After the brutal beatdown of his younger brother at the hands of Jorge Masvidal in 2019, Nick Diaz gave an interview to Sports Journalist Ariel Helwani. To avenge his brother's TKO loss to Gamebred at UFC 244, Nick Diaz called out the Miami native for a fight. This indicates that Stockton's own could be ready to step inside the cage once again.
Dan Hardy might just be the right matchup for Diaz if the latter decides to make a comeback. Mentioning the trash talk and commotion surrounding a Nick Diaz headlined event, Dan Hardy explained why he wants Nick Diaz next.
“Nick Diaz is my priority. I mean, a Diaz brother would be great, just cause I love their vibe, I love their trash talk and I think I could get inside their head the way they get inside other people’s head. And I always think their game has been, you know, over-celebrated, shall we say? They’re good, but they’re not technically great. They’re kind of sloppy. They’ve got good Jiu Jitsu of course, but they don’t have any means of getting you to the ground without slapping the hell out of you like they did McGregor."