UFC 146: Dan Hardy Still Wants To Fight 'Blood Thirsty Kill Freak' Matt Hughes

After taking a relatively quick break from MMA, Dan Hardy is set to make his return against a fellow striker in Duane Ludwig on UFC 146. He will be trying to get back on track this May, but the Brit still has an eye on a different fight. One against a certain UFC Hall-of-Famer that he truly dislikes. He spoke to MMA Weekly about it:

"I would love to figure that out, that blood thirsty kill freak. I can’t stand the dude. I’d love to get a shot at him, but the thing with Matt Hughes is I don’t like him as a person, but I can’t help but respect him as a fighter. He achieved a lot and I enjoyed watching him fight when he was at his peak. As a person, I can’t stand him; I wouldn’t speak to him if I had the option. But I watch his fights and I learn from them."

"The thing is, at this stage in his career, I know he’s past his peak. I know he’s not looked great in his last few fights, and maybe he’s kind of winding down. I would love to fight him and, if he was willing to take the fight, I would by all means love to get in there and put it on him, but I’m not going to chase after the guy cause he has passed his peak and he may not want to a fight against someone who doesn’t like him as much as me."

Hardy has called out Hughes in the past, and says his dislike stems from the former champion proudly tweeting about killing bobcats, with the Brit replying:

"Look at what I killed. Aren’t I the man? This is the only thing I have found that cures my impotence. There is no justification for what he does. Shooting a wild cat for fun is a joke. I don’t have a problem for hunting if there is a purpose for it. I have never read anywhere being overran by bobcats though."