Former UFC welterweight title challenger Dan Hardy has not fought since September of 2012, when he was pulled out of competition as the result of a rare heart disorder called Wolff–Parkinson–White syndrome. The condition is not usually dangerous, but Hardy has been kept out of the cage ever since as a precaution.

While Hardy has kept plenty busy in the years since, working as a commentator and analyst for the UFC, and even penning a book, it sounds like a return to the cage is in the cards. In an interview with Sherdog.com, the 36-year-old Nottingham native announced that he’s been cleared to fight again, should he so choose.

“I’m all good,” Dan Hardy said. “I went back to the UK, took a bunch of tests with a cardio specialist and they compared past test results and told me ‘You’re all good. Whenever you choose to return, you’ve got the paperwork to compete.’”

It should come as no surprise that Dan Hardy is very excited at the prospect of fighting again. That being said, he won’t return for just any old scrap. The details will have to be just right.

“There’s nothing like fighting,” Hardy said. “You can’t replace fighting. But [analyst work] is a good close second for me, to remain in the fight game, push these fights and give my thoughts on them. I feel fortunate just to be in this position.”

“I’m always thinking about fighting again,” Hardy continued. “It’s gotta be the right venue, the right opponent. No one in particular, and that’s the thing, this sport changes so quickly that you don’t know who’s going to be available mid-to-late next year.

“It really depends on where the sport sits at the time,” he added.

If Dan Hardy returns to the cage, who would you like to see him fight?

This article first appeared on BJPENN.COM on 10/5/2018.