Former UFC welterweight Dan Hardy asked the world’s leading MMA promotion to release Nick Diaz so he can fight the legend in RIZIN.

Hardy requested his release from the UFC, where he had still been under an old contract, in order to take his talents to RIZIN in Japan. On Tuesday, Hardy posted on his Twitter that he was “free,” indicating that the UFC has likely given him his release as he requested.

https://twitter.com/danhardymma/status/1392190141402320899

Not long after Hardy announced that he was free, he wrote another Tweet saying that he wants the UFC to release Diaz so the two can fight in RIZIN. Here’s what Hardy wrote.

If Uncle Dana doesn’t think @nickdiaz209 actually wants to fight, they should release him so we can fight on #Rizin in Japan. Oldschool #PrideFC style. The #GoldenAge of #MMA

Hardy made reference to comments made by UFC president Dana White earlier this week, where he said that he didn’t think Diaz actually wanted to fight again in the Octagon.

“(The meeting) went good. My whole thing with Nick Diaz is that I just question how bad he really wants to fight. We got together, we had a great conversation, and talked about a possible comeback for him. I just don’t know. We’ll see how it plays out this summer and the rest of the year,” White said.

“Just the amount of time that he’s taken off already. When you hear him talk about fighting when you hear him talk about the sport. And I sit down daily or talk to daily hungry, young savages who want to break into the top-10 and become world champions and all the stuff. And Nick Diaz has done it all and seen it all and he’s been in big fights. I just don’t see that in him when I talk to him.”

It will be interesting to see if the UFC grants Diaz his release from the company as they seem to have for Hardy, but ultimately it will be the decision of White and the UFC brass.

Do you want to see Dan Hardy fight Nick Diaz in RIZIN?