If a survey was taken to vote for the least popular UFC fighter in terms of likability, you can bet that Greg Hardy would be a finalist, if not a favorite to take home the most votes. And that has been the case even before Greg Hardy stepped foot in the Octagon due to the domestic violence history that will forever be attached to his name.
Greg Hardy’s opponent this Saturday at UFC San Antonio, Juan Adams, has constantly been reminding the world about Hardy’s past and also what he perceives to be a lack of remorse from Hardy. These criticisms had already been echoed by many before Adams, and Hardy was something of an outcast from day one. But Hardy believes that he is a nice guy, regardless of what the world thinks and that, more importantly, in this sport it doesn’t matter.
“(MMA is) kind of being like in the NFL – it’s an everyday job,” Hardy told MMA Junkie. “I’m used to it, and it comes with the territory. You can’t have half the planet love you and expect the rest to follow suit. It’s a checks and balances kind of thing, and it’s a democracy. It’s their right, it’s their purpose in life (to dislike me), and I love it.
“We’re here to break faces. This is not a nice guys sport, and I’m a nice guy until they lock the cage. When I’m in the cage, I’m coming to break your face in every single way possible. I’m thinking about learning some capoeira, all that stuff. I want to break people down in beautiful, phenomenal ways, and it’s coming soon.”
Ultimately, what it boils down to is Greg Hardy finding peace with his new place in the world: the Ultimate Fighting Championship, even when there is protests and personal attacks happening right outside this new residence:
“A long time ago, I found my place,” Hardy said. “I found a home amongst the elite in the world, the nation, the 1 percent of the 1 percent. To be there, to be a part of that club, you had to be in that zone. You had to be in that zone consistently, every day, with half the world shunning you, looking down on you, hating your team.
How do you believe Greg Hardy has fit into the UFC thus far?
