UFC Schedules Greg Hardy’s Controversial Debut

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On Wednesday morning, the UFC signed former NFL Pro Bowler turned MMA Fighter Greg Hardy to a UFC contract. Hardy will debut on January 19th against Allen Crowder on UFC Fight Night 143 in Brooklyn at the Barclays Center.

Hardy, who was a former defensive end, previously played for the Carolina Panthers and Dallas Cowboys. While he held potential on the football field, his off-the-field issues were too apparent for front offices to look past.

An assault case from 2014 cost Hardy his spot with the Panthers, and a variety of tardiness issues, as well as inappropriate conduct on social media, forced the Cowboys to move on.

In MMA, Hardy fought former NFL DE Austen Lane in his debut, knocking him out in 57 seconds. After earning another spot two months later, he defeated Tebaris Gordon in 17 seconds to cement his spot at a future UFC Fight Night or PPV event. Hardy fought one more time against Rasheem Jones at Xtreme Fight Night 352, where he knocked him out in 57 seconds, similar to his debut.

Even with controversy at hand, Hardy has been able to stay focused on his MMA career. With his first UFC event as the first ESPN+ card in the company’s history, we are all watching to speculate whether Hardy can remain composed throughout his career.

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