Things didn’t go the way Greg Hardy had hoped at UFC on ESPN+ 1.
Hardy was booked in the co-main event against Allen Crowder. It was Hardy’s UFC debut. The former NFL star was pushed beyond the opening frame for the first time in his young mixed martial arts career. Disaster struck when Hardy landed a knee to the head of a downed opponent. Referee Dan Miragliotta disqualified Hardy.
Hardy Owns Up To Mistake
During the post-fight press conference, Hardy said he didn’t intend to land an illegal knee but realizes he make a mistake (via MMAFighting.com):
“He was getting up, it was inexperience in mistiming it, man. But I trying to time it like I had just watched Donald Cowboy Cerrone do, like I saw everybody else do, and I thought it was the right thing to do at the time. And it was not. I messed up. I was built to do this. I was made to do this, man, and I let people down today. I let my gym down. I let my team down, and you know it? it sucks man. I didn’t want him to go out like that. That sucks for Allen Crowder man, for him to go out like that, no matter how he feels about me that’s not okay you know. I take full responsibility for this. It’s not something I’d do on purpose. Anybody that’s ever met me, or been around me, knows it’s not something I would do. I wish we could go back and go into the third round, man.”
While this wasn’t Hardy’s finest hour, UFC president Dana White told reporters that Hardy can fight and he will be welcomed back to the Octagon. During the fight, the inexperienced Hardy was able to get off his back, stuff takedowns, and avoided a guillotine choke. His gas tank was in question, however after failing to land the one-punch knockout in the first round.
Do you think Greg Hardy’s knee was accidental?
