5 Things You Might Not Know About Greg Hardy

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Greg Hardy (3-0) is a heavyweight fighter who made his way to the Ultimate Fighting Championship via Dana White’s Tuesday Night Contender Series. Hardy is set to make his UFC bow opposite Allen Crowder on the main card of UFC Fight Night 143. The bout takes place at the Barclays Center, in Brooklyn, New York, on Jan. 19.

In the build-up to his official Octagon debut, here are five things that you might not know about the controversial athlete:

He has won all his fights by stoppage.

Hardy’s nascent mixed martial arts career has gone well. Across three professional contests, the powerhouse has yet to taste defeat. His dominant performances have entailed three first-round knockouts, with a combined fight time of just over two minutes. His longest cage time to date was his professional debut, a 57-second drubbing of Austen Lane in June 2018. It was a similar story in the amateur ranks. Hardy emerged victorious from each of his three matches by first-round TKO.

He was a high school sports star.

Football, basketball and track and field athletics were all on the agenda during Hardy’s time at Briarcrest Christian School in Memphis, Tennessee. The exceptional athlete ran 200 meters in 24.04 seconds while at the school and recorded a 14.47-meter shot put throw.

He played in the National Football League.

Following a largely successful college football career at the University of Mississippi, Hardy was picked by the Carolina Panthers in the sixth round of the 2010 NFL draft. He later played for the Dallas Cowboys. After his release from the Cowboys, Hardy continued playing football, first in the Spring League and then in the American Arena League.

He is much-maligned.

Hardy has faced scathing criticism. His NFL tenure saw him lambasted for purported poor professionalism, ill-advised social media posts, tardiness and setting a poor example to his teammates. In 2016, he was arrested for cocaine possession. However, his most serious issues stem from his March 2014 arrest for assaulting his ex-girlfriend. Initially, Hardy was found guilty and sentenced to a 60-day stint in jail. The then football star promptly demanded a jury trial. When his ex-girlfriend failed to attend court to testify, the charges were dropped. In the immediate aftermath, police photographs were released showing Hardy’s ex-girlfriend’s injuries. These images caused outrage online. Considering his chequered past, the UFC’s decision to hire Hardy has been met with concern by some and contempt by others. However, Dana White has defended the decision. “I personally think he’s a changed guy,” said White when questioned on the matter. “He’s learned from his mistake, and he’s trying to make a change in his life.”

He has had his fair share of injuries.

As a junior at Mississippi, Hardy missed the first three games of the season following foot surgery. The off-season saw him undergo a second foot surgery. A July 2009 car accident reinjured his seemingly cursed foot and led to him having to wear a cast. His college career was later hampered by a fractured wrist. Hardy also suffered a number of injury setbacks during his NFL stint, including a broken thumb while with the Carolina Panthers. In June 2018, the football player hurt his knee in his debut game for the American Arena League’s Richmond Roughriders. Fortunately for the burgeoning knockout artist, the setback wasn’t serious.