• UFC 120

Hardy to face Condit or Kampmann at UFC 120

Dan Hardy has given himself time to develop his wrestling game following his defeat to Georges St-Pierre © Getty Images

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ESPN.co.uk understands that the UFC has narrowed down the shortlist for Dan Hardy's next opponent to just two names: Carlos Condit or Martin Kampmann.

Hardy is ready to return to the Octagon at UFC 120 in London following his March defeat to Georges St-Pierre, a fight that represented British MMA's first ever title shot. "The Outlaw" has taken time out following the unanimous decision defeat to recover from the draining process of being involved in a UFC main event, but now he is champing at the bit to put the loss behind him.

Having won his four previous fights in the UFC, Hardy remains a top contender in the welterweight division, and the calibre of opponent that the UFC is considering for his next bout proves he is not about to be fed a 'tune-up' fight.

Kampmann is currently one of the most in-form fighters in the 170lb weight class. Since being stopped by Paul Daley, the Dane has beaten Jacob Volkmann and, more impressively, Paulo Thiago to climb the ladder. A former middleweight, Kampmann is now fighting at his true weight, and his ground game would pose real problems to Hardy.

Asked recently about a potential collision with the Brit, Kampmann told MMA Junkie that he felt the fight would be a 'great opportunity'. Logistically, the Kampmann encounter may also be the easier to make as "The Hitman" prepares to return to Europe over the summer.

Carlos Condit may well be the more tempting option to the UFC though, who always look to put on stand-up wars to satisfy the action-thirsty cravings of the British crowd. While Kampmann showed against Thiago that he can nullify the division's top strikers on the mat, Condit generally prefers to duke it out.

Also riding a two-fight win streak since a loss to Kampmann on his UFC debut, Condit was the final man to hold the WEC welterweight title before the division was dissolved. Consecutive fights against welterweight champions for Hardy would make for a good sell, in what will surely be the night's co-main event at the o2 Arena.

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.