Dan Hardy the latest in a plethora of UFC fighters to show interest in Nick Diaz bout

The news of an improbable Octagon return for Nick Diaz has sparked a wave of interest from fans and fighters alike with Dan Hardy the latest to express an interest in welcoming the 37-year-old back to the UFC.

With social media abuzz with potential match-ups for the Stockton native, Hardy threw his hat into the ring by tweeting, ‘sounds like a good scrap.’

https://twitter.com/danhardymma/status/1303043975297806339

Hardy’s return to competition would be a big deal on its own. The 38-year-old has been retired since 2012 following a win over Amir Sadollah in his native Nottingham. He hung up his gloves with a record of 25-10 and was the first British fighter to compete for a UFC title.

https://www.instagram.com/p/B45raANF2P9/

Although Diaz is a name that commands immense respect, his last fight was in 2015 and his last victory was way back in 2011. That’s an awfully long time to be out of competition in what is one of the toughest sports in the world. The very notion of such a turnaround will invariably attract its share of doubters, so if he were to make a successful return to action it would surely be one of the comeback stories of the year.

Given that both fighters are fan favourites, similar ages and have both been out of the game for a long time in a competitive sense, perhaps Diaz vs Hardy is the perfect match-up.

Who would be your preferred opponent for Nick Diaz at this stage of his career?