Dana White is hoping to see Greg Hardy back on the Tuesday Night Contender Series before this season ends.
Hardy competed in the season opener against Austen Lane. While Hardy was the underdog due to a lack of professional experience, he ended up knocking out Lane in under one minute. White offered Hardy a developmental Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) deal.
While Hardy garnered attention for his past with domestic violence, White believes Hardy is turning a corner. The UFC president believes Hardy has the potential to make some noise in the heavyweight division if he has a chance to grow. That’s what White plans on making a reality.
He told TMZ Sports that he hopes to have Hardy return in two months (via Bloody Elbow):
“Obviously, he’s got a lot of raw talent, and he’s very powerful, and he looked damn good in his showing at the Dana White Tuesday Night Contender Series. So, we signed him to a different type of deal, deals we’ve done with other people where you see some promise, and you give the athletes the opportunity to build themselves up, get better. In a perfect world, what I’d love to do is turn him around and (have him fight) again in the last fight of the Contender Series, the last fight of the season.”
Hardy is 1-0 as a professional, so he won’t be hopping straight into a UFC event. White initially said, “we’ll figure this thing out” when he talked about bringing Hardy on board. He’s even mentioned the possibility of booking Hardy on some “Lookin’ For a Fight” events. Nothing has been confirmed, but it looks like Hardy will be getting the red carpet rolled out as he continues to develop his skills.
Do you believe Greg Hardy can grow into a formidable heavyweight in the UFC?
