After losing four straight fights in the UFC, many thought Dan Hardy was living on borrowed time as a Zuffa-employed fighter going into UFC 146.
That still may be true, but Hardy certainly bought himself some time last night when he knocked out Duane "Bang" Ludwig with a solid left hook that sent the muay thai specialist crashing to the mat in the very first round.
Now that Hardy is coming off of arguably the most impressive win of his UFC career, it won't get any easier for "The Outlaw," and it may not be long before he finds himself competing against the welterweight division's elite once again.
Georges St-Pierre
Well, we've already seen how this fight goes.
Hardy fought GSP for the welterweight title way back at UFC 111 in early 2010, and although the Nottingham native was able to survive all five rounds with the current UFC champion, it wasn't much of a fight.
If Hardy is somehow able to earn a rematch with St-Pierre one day, there is no reason to believe the result would be any different.
Carlos Condit
Hardy and Condit have already met once, and Condit won rather quickly when he knocked Hardy out in the very first round of their bout at UFC 120.
While Hardy was beaten, he was having a small bit of success against Condit on the feet prior to being smashed with a heavy left hand, and he threw his own haymaker at the exact same moment as Condit.
If Hardy's punch was the one that had landed clean, he may have walked away with a knockout victory, but regardless, I think Condit is the superior fighter and would have eventually finished the former title challenger.
Jake Ellenberger
As good as Hardy has looked at times during his UFC career, it's hard to envision a scenario where he would be able to defeat Jake Ellenberger.
"The Juggernaut" has dominated every fighter not named Carlos Condit during his UFC career, and his loss to the current interim welterweight champion was a razor close decision that could have gone either way.
As far as a potential bout between Ellenberger and Hardy is concerned, Hardy has no shot.
Ellenberger could use his wrestling to dominate "The Outlaw" on the mat, or he could choose to stand an trade with Hardy, as his iron chin and heavy hands would make him the most dangerous fighter Hardy has fought in quite some time.
Johny Hendricks
Much like Jake Ellenberger, Dan Hardy should want no part of a matchup against Johny Hendricks.
Hendricks' last two wins over Jon Fitch and Josh Koscheck have proved he is one of the top guys to watch in the welterweight division, and his skill set would make for a nightmare matchup for Hardy.
Hendricks has the wrestling to frustrate Hardy on the mat, but it's more likely that "Big Rig" would prefer to stand and bang with "The Outlaw."
Hendricks' striking is quite as technical as Ellenberger's yet, so Hardy would at least have a punchers chance on the feet, but this one is as one sided as the others so far.
Martin Kampmann
If there is one guy in the top five of the welterweight division that Dan Hardy has a legitimate shot at taking out, Martin Kampmann is it.
Despite being one of the most well-rounded fighters in the division, Kampmann has a bad habit of fighting towards his opponent's strengths, and a stand-up war between Kampmann and Hardy would be tremendously fun to watch.
While Kampmann may be the most technical and precise striker, Hardy has that one-punch finishing power that a lot of guys dream of, and Kampmann has succumbed to punches before.
"The Hitman" probably would and should win this fight, but Hardy's sneaky power and timing would make this a must-see fight.
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