• UFC

Hathaway would fight Hardy - reluctantly

British welterweight hope John Hathaway believes he and Dan Hardy would be professional enough to fight each other if their paths were to cross in the future.

Hathaway and Hardy both compete on the UFC 120 card in October, with Hardy facing Carlos Condit in the night's co-main event after Hathaway takes on Mike Pyle. Hathaway is tipped for a bright future after taking his undefeated MMA record to 14-0 against Diego Sanchez, while Hardy remains a 170lb contender despite defeat to Georges St-Pierre.

The team-mate vs. team-mate or countryman vs. countryman debate is an ongoing issue in the UFC, with No. 3 welterweight Jon Fitch not keen to face No. 2 competitor and AKA colleague Josh Koscheck. The Fitch/Koscheck problem is just the latest in a long line of 'fighter loyalty' examples, with Anderson Silva unwilling to fight Lyoto Machida and Rashad Evans reluctant to meet Keith Jardine.

Carlos Condit recently confessed to ESPN.co.uk he would fight team-mate Georges St-Pierre if the welterweight title was at stake, and Hathaway admits he holds the same view regarding compatriot Hardy. But the 23-year-old hopes the UFC has enough opponents to prevent that scenario ever occurring.

"I think there's enough people in the welterweight division to keep us away from each other to a certain extent," Hathaway told ESPN.co.uk, during an appearance at GAME store on Oxford Street in London.

"But me and Dan are both professionals, I would consider him a friend of mine, but it's our job at the end of the day.

"I guess we would compete against each other if we had to, but there's enough people in the division to keep us apart.

"I always take the fights that they give me, train for them and fight hard."

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