If that whole Takanori Gomi thing doesn't work out, there's always "The Outlaw."
Former Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) welterweight number one contender, Dan Hardy, is looking to get back inside the Octagon next spring and while he's realistic about his place in the 170-pound pecking order, a "fun" fight against Diego Sanchez would be too "hilarious" to resist.
From his chat with ESPN.co.uk:
"Diego Sanchez would be great. The guy's hilarious, I can't take him seriously. I think a fight with him would be a lot of fun, why not? I'll be doubled-up from laughter if he's doing [the YES chant]. Especially if he comes out to the Mariachi music - because that's just fantastic. It's like a circus, like a festival. Ellenberger's closer to a title shot than fighting me at the moment. I'm trying to be realistic about where I am, and I need to win one or two fights before I'm back in his pool. I have a rough schedule in my head of when I'm going to fight next, which the UFC usually throw out the window so it doesn't make a great deal of difference anyway. I'm looking at the end of March, beginning of April."
Hardy (25-10) is slowly but surely picking up momentum in the welterweight division following a dreadful 0-4 run. After pasting Duane Ludwig at UFC 146 last May, he outworked former Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 7 champ Amir Sadollah in Nottingham.
Next up? That remains to be seen.
Sanchez (23-5) saw his two-fight winning streak snapped in a gutsy performance against Jake Ellenberger at UFC on FUEL TV last February. He's hinted at a return to lightweight, where he compiled a 2-1 record back in 2009, but that all depends on whether or not "The Fireball Kid" is willing to throw down.
Would fighting Hardy instead be a "Dream" or "Nightmare" for the original TUF guy?