UPDATE: Greg Hardy received an offer from UFC president Dana White follow Dana White’s Contender Series 9. The former NFL defensive end will be brought in to “develop,” according to White, but a contract has been offered as the UFC and Hardy work out all of the details.
On Tuesday night, Greg Hardy made his professional mixed martial arts debut. The controversial former NFL defensive end got his shot on Dana White’s Contender Series 9 where he was matched up against fellow former NFL player Austen Lane. It didn’t take long for Hardy to show off his incredible power and athleticism.
Shortly into the first round, Hardy uncorked a vicious right hook that immediately dropped Lane to the mat. As Lane was attempting to recover, Hardy followed up with a heavy left hand that put Lane down for the count and forced the referee to come in and bring an end to the fight.
https://twitter.com/WatchStadium/status/1006724395522379777
UFC president Dana White reacted to the knockout like all of those watching at home.
The reaction from @danawhite is all you need to know about the power of @greghardyjr… WOW#UFCFIGHTPASS pic.twitter.com/EGJaLzA06s
— UFC Fight Pass (@UFCFightPass) June 13, 2018
As for what’s next for Hardy, we will have to see whether Dana White is willing to give him a shot in the big show. It will be interesting to see considering Hardy’s checkered past, which includes some very troubling domestic violence issues that resulted in a conviction before his record was expunged. Dana White, however, is open to giving him another chance.
“He went through everything, the whole legal process, went back to football,” White said at the UFC 225 post-fight press conference. “I guess he had a real bad drug and alcohol problem, started getting into MMA, cleaned himself up. If you talk to anybody that he trains with, male or female, they say he’s a very good guy, he’s very humble – and everybody deserves a second chance.”
