Controversial heavyweight Greg Hardy will return to the Octagon when he meets Juan Adams at this weekend’s (Sat., July 20, 2019) UFC on ESPN 4 from the AT&T Center in San Antonio, Texas.
The former NFL star has been a polarizing presence since his UFC debut earlier this year. And that’s putting it mildly. Nearly any media discussing the hulking heavyweight knockout artist contains something about his history with domestic violence. The alleged incident saw him suspended from football. For what it’s worth, he was ultimately never convicted.
However, there’s also no doubting Hardy’s scary athleticism and how it’s translated seamlessly into the sport of mixed martial arts (MMA). True, he lost his UFC debut by disqualification. But he’s won every single other one of his pro-MMA bouts by first-round knockout. He may be reaching his prime years for a fighter at 30. That could suggest the sky is the limit for him in the UFC.
A New Sport
Hardy appeared on today’s episode of ‘Ariel Helwani’s MMA Show’ to discuss his career trajectory. Apparently, he’s looking to get into boxing:
“Looking into it and got some of the greatest coaches in the world at American Top Team (ATT). Just getting the opportunity to move back and forth between different arts. I found a nice spot in boxing. Starting to develop a love for it, a like for it, and a yearning to actually get in there and try it out. I think, with the blessing of the Big Man upstairs, that it’s something I would love to look into and starting pretty soon to wet my feet.”
Combat Sports’ Heavyweight GOAT
If and when he does transfer his skills to the sweet science, Hardy has quite the lofty prediction for his future in multiple combat sports:
“I think I could be one of – if not the – greatest fight sports heavyweight of all-time. Not even just MMA, just the greatest combat sports heavyweight. I’m versatile, you know?”
Fans of the historic eras of heavyweight boxing may have just spit up whatever they were drinking. Hardy does have otherworldly speed and power for a man his size. His future in MMA looks supremely promising, and much of that could be due to the vast confidence he has on top of his athletic ability.
Yet with names like Muhammad Ali, Joe Frazier, and George Foreman up there amongst the great combat sports heavyweights of all-time, Hardy has quite the ladder to climb.
First of all, of course, he’ll have to get past Adams this weekend. The DWTNCS veteran is no slouch whatsoever. There will be many suggesting that perhaps Hardy should focus on that challenge before predicting his rise to all-time legendary status in a completely different sport.
Is Greg Hardy looking past his opponent heading into UFC San Antonio?
