Ranking 10 Greatest Ever MMA Fighters From The UK & Ireland

3. Dan Hardy (25-10-1)

Newer fans will recognize Dan ‘The Outlaw’ Hardy as one of the men who usually works as a commentator when the UFC hosts events outside the United States. However, he previously had an excellent career inside the Octagon ⁠— and it may not be over.

Along with Michael Bisping, ‘The Outlaw’ became one of the UFC’s first UK-based stars who rose to prominence in the late-2000s. Following his promotional debut in 2008, Hardy would go on to win his first four fights in the UFC and earned a title shot against the legendary Georges St-Pierre.

While the striker out of Nottingham would end up losing to St-Pierre, he did manage to go the distance with the champ. He also made history by becoming the first British fighter to ever compete for a UFC title.

Sadly, Hardy was diagnosed with Wolf-Parkinson-White syndrome (a heart problem) and hasn’t fought since September of 2012. That being said, the 37-year-old was medically cleared to fight in late-2018 and told Joe Rogan that he was re-entering the USADA (drug) testing pool, in hopes of resuming his career in the near future.

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From 1999-2003 Jacques performed on the Florida independent pro wrestling circuit. He also has an amateur wrestling background and currently holds a certification in Krav Maga. Jacques graduated from the University of Central Florida in 2003, with a bachelor's degree in Political Science. He currently resides in Chicago, Illinois. Follow him on twitter @goodeals79.