Greg Hardy will have his second bout under the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) banner next month.
ESPN reports that Hardy will be taking on Dmitrii Smoliakov at UFC on ESPN 3. Igor Lazorin is credited with the initial report. The event is scheduled to take place inside the BB&T Center in Sunrise, Florida on April 27. This will be Smoliakov’s third UFC bout.
Hardy vs. Smoliakov – What They’ve Done So Far
Hardy’s UFC debut ended in a disqualification loss to Allen Crowder. The former NFL star landed an illegal knee to a downed Crowder. Hardy had earned his spot on the UFC roster with his performances on Dana White’s Tuesday Night Contender Series, as well as a 53-second knockout win on the regional circuit.
Smoliakov’s previous UFC run didn’t go well. He was submitted in his promotional debut by Luis Henrique. He was then stopped by Cyril Asker. Smoliakov rebounded with a submission win over Evgeniy Bova under the Aslan Challenge promotion.
UFC on ESPN 3 is set to feature a light heavyweight scrap between Glover Teixeira and Ion Cutelaba. Bantamweights John Lineker and Cory Sandhagen will also collide. A middleweight bout between Yoel Romero and Paulo Costa has been reported to be in the works, but it isn’t a done deal.
Do you think Greg Hardy gets his first UFC win in April?
