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Gregory McKarl Hardy (born July 28, 1988) is an American
mixed martial artist Mixed martial arts (MMA) is a full-contact fighting sport based on striking and grappling; incorporating techniques from various combat sports from around the world. In the early 20th century, various inter-stylistic contests took place t ...
,
boxer Boxer most commonly refers to: *Boxer (boxing), a competitor in the sport of boxing * Boxer (dog), a breed of dog Boxer or boxers may also refer to: Animal kingdom * Boxer crab * Boxer shrimp, a small group of decapod crustaceans * Boxer snipe ee ...
, and former
football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...
defensive end Defensive end (DE) is a defensive position in the sport of gridiron football. This position has designated the players at each end of the defensive line, but changes in formation (American football), formations over the years have substantially ...
. He played football for six seasons in the
National Football League The National Football League (NFL) is a Professional gridiron football, professional American football league in the United States. Composed of 32 teams, it is divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National ...
(NFL), primarily with the
Carolina Panthers The Carolina Panthers are a professional American football team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Panthers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC South, South division. The t ...
. Hardy played
college football College football is gridiron football that is played by teams of amateur Student athlete, student-athletes at universities and colleges. It was through collegiate competition that gridiron football American football in the United States, firs ...
for the
Ole Miss Rebels The Ole Miss Rebels are the 18 men's and women's College sports in the United States, intercollegiate athletic teams that are funded by and represent the University of Mississippi, located in Oxford, Mississippi, Oxford. The first was the Ole ...
and was selected by the Panthers in the sixth round of the
2010 NFL draft The 2010 NFL draft was the 75th annual meeting of National Football League (NFL) franchises to select newly eligible football players. The 2010 NFL draft, draft took place over three days, at Radio City Music Hall in New York City, with the first ...
. His most successful season was in 2013 when he set the Panthers single-season record for sacks, earning him
Pro Bowl The National Football League All-Star Game (1939–1942), Pro Bowl (1951–2022), or Pro Bowl Games (since 2023) is an annual event held by the National Football League (NFL) featuring the league's All-star, star players. The format has changed ...
and second-team
All-Pro All-Pro is an honor bestowed upon professional American football players that designates the best player at each position during a given season. All-Pro players are typically selected by press organizations, who select an "All-Pro team," a list t ...
honors. During the following off-season, however, Hardy was found guilty of assaulting a former girlfriend. Although the case was dismissed after the victim failed to appear in court, the ensuing controversy led to him not being re-signed by the Panthers after playing one game with them in 2014. Hardy spent his final NFL season with the
Dallas Cowboys The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football team based in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. The Cowboys compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. T ...
. After the conclusion of his football career, Hardy became a mixed martial artist. He was signed to the
Ultimate Fighting Championship The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promoter (entertainment), promotion company based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is owned and operated by TKO Group Holdings, a majority owned subsidiary of Endeavor ( ...
(UFC) from 2019 to 2022, where he competed in the heavyweight division.


Early years

Hardy attended Briarcrest Christian School in
Eads, Tennessee Eads is an unincorporated community in Shelby County, Tennessee, United States, named after Civil War engineer James Buchanan Eads James Buchanan Eads (May 23, 1820 – March 8, 1887) was an American civil engineer and inventor. He held more ...
, where he was a three-sport letterman in
football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...
,
basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appro ...
and track. In football, he helped lead his team to the state championship in 2004. As a senior, he was credited with 65
tackles Tackle may refer to: * In football: ** Tackle (football move), a play in various forms of football ** Tackle (gridiron football position) A tackle is a playing position in American football. Historically, in the one-platoon system prevalent ...
, including 12 for loss and six sacks, while also receiving 48 passes for 268 yards. Hardy played with offensive tackle
Michael Oher Michael Jerome Oher (; Williams Jr.; born May 28, 1986) is an American former professional football player who was an offensive tackle for eight seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Ole Miss Rebel ...
at both Briarcrest Christian School and Ole Miss. In basketball, he was an honorable mention all-state as a junior. In track & field, Hardy earned a letter competing as a sprinter and
shot put The shot put is a track-and-field event involving "putting" (throwing) a heavy spherical Ball (sports), ball—the ''shot''—as far as possible. For men, the sport has been a part of the Olympic Games, modern Olympics since their 1896 Summer Olym ...
ter. In sprints, he ran the
200-meter dash The 200 metres, or 200-meter dash, is a sprint running event. On an outdoor 400-metre racetrack, the race begins on the curve and ends on the home straight, so a combination of techniques is needed to successfully run the race. A slight ...
in 24.04 seconds as a sophomore. In the shot put, he got a top-throw of . In addition, he also recorded a 4.8-second
40-yard dash The 40-yard dash is a sprint covering . It is primarily run to evaluate the speed and acceleration of American football players by scouts, particularly for the NFL draft but also for collegiate recruiting. A player's recorded time can have a he ...
and had a 28-inch
vertical jump A vertical jump or vertical leap is the act of jumping upwards into the air. It can be an exercise for building both endurance and strength, and is also a standard test for measuring athletic performance. It may also be referred to as a ''Sargent ...
. Hardy was considered a three-star prospect by Rivals.com, and was ranked No. 30 among weakside defensive end prospects, No. 44 according to Scout.com. He was an all-state pick who was rated as the No. 5 player in
Tennessee Tennessee (, ), officially the State of Tennessee, is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders Kentucky to the north, Virginia to the northeast, North Carolina t ...
by ''
Super Prep ''Super Prep'' is a former sports magazine that was based in Laguna Beach, California. It was published in 1985 by Allen Wallace, a lawyer. Its main focus is to provide recruiting information on high school football players. In 1987, ''The Boston ...
'', No. 8 by Scout.com and No. 12 by Rivals.com. He was also named All-Metro by ''
The Commercial Appeal ''The Commercial Appeal'' (also known as the ''Memphis Commercial Appeal'') is a daily newspaper of Memphis, Tennessee, and its surrounding metropolitan area. It is owned by the Gannett Company; its former owner, the E. W. Scripps Company, also ...
''.


Football career


College

Hardy accepted a football scholarship from the
University of Mississippi The University of Mississippi (Epithet, byname Ole Miss) is a Public university, public research university in University, near Oxford, Mississippi, United States, with a University of Mississippi Medical Center, medical center in Jackson, Miss ...
. As a freshman, he played in all 12 games, with 9 starts at left defensive end. He posted 49 tackles (fifth on the team), 3 sacks, 5 tackles for loss, 4 forced fumbles and 2 fumble recoveries. He spent time at wide receiver against
Mississippi State University Mississippi State University for Agriculture and Applied Science, commonly known as Mississippi State University (MSU), is a Public university, public land-grant university, land-grant research university in Mississippi State, Mississippi, Un ...
, making a 23 yards
touchdown A touchdown (abbreviated as TD) is a scoring play in gridiron football. Scoring a touchdown grants the team that scored it 6 points. Whether running, passing, returning a kickoff or punt, or recovering a turnover, a team scores a touchd ...
reception. As a sophomore, he played in 10 games out of 12 games with four starts at defensive end. He tallied 64 tackles (fourth on the team), 10 sacks (led the conference), 18.5 tackles for loss (second in the conference), 3 forced fumbles and 2 touchdown receptions on offense. As a junior, he missed the first three games after having foot surgery to repair a broken bone in his right foot. He played in 9 out of 13 games because of injuries, recording 18 tackles, 8.5 sacks (third in the conference), 9.5 tackles for loss, 3 quarterback pressures, one interception and one pass defensed. Hardy was considered one of the best pass rushers eligible for the
2009 NFL draft The 2009 NFL draft was the 74th annual meeting of National Football League (NFL) franchises to select newly eligible football players. The draft took place at Radio City Music Hall in New York City, New York, on April 25 and 26, 2009. The draft c ...
but he elected to return to Ole Miss for his senior season. In January 2009, he underwent a second surgery to his right foot during the off-season. On July 12, 2009, he was involved in a car accident along with teammate
Dexter McCluster Dexter Marquise McCluster (born August 25, 1988) is an American former professional football player who was a running back and return specialist in the National Football League (NFL) for the Kansas City Chiefs, Tennessee Titans, and San Diego ...
, where he aggravated the foot injury and was put back in a walking cast. As a senior, he appeared in 9 out of 13 games (including the
Cotton Bowl Classic The Cotton Bowl Classic (also known as the Cotton Bowl) is an American college football bowl game played annually in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex since January 1, 1937. The game was originally played at its Cotton Bowl (stadium), namesake ...
), after missing the final three regular-season contests because of a surgery on his fractured left wrist. He registered 16 tackles, 6.5 tackles for loss, 5 sacks (tied for third on the team), 4 quarterback pressures, 3 passes defensed and one fumble recovery. Hardy finished his college career with 39.5 career tackles for loss and 26.5 sacks. In the 2006–07
basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appro ...
season, he played in 15 games (one start), while averaging just under one point and two rebounds per contest. His best performance came against the two-time national champion
University of Florida The University of Florida (Florida or UF) is a public university, public land-grant university, land-grant research university in Gainesville, Florida, United States. It is a senior member of the State University System of Florida and a preem ...
in the semifinals of the 2007 SEC tournament, where he had 6 points and 4 rebounds.


Professional career


Pre-draft

In the April 2009 edition of ''
Sports Illustrated ''Sports Illustrated'' (''SI'') is an American sports magazine first published in August 1954. Founded by Stuart Scheftel, it was the first magazine with a circulation of over one million to win the National Magazine Award for General Excellen ...
'', Hardy was named a top prospect for the
2010 NFL draft The 2010 NFL draft was the 75th annual meeting of National Football League (NFL) franchises to select newly eligible football players. The 2010 NFL draft, draft took place over three days, at Radio City Music Hall in New York City, with the first ...
. However, injuries, poor production, and an unimpressive combine caused his draft stock to fall significantly.


Carolina Panthers

Hardy was selected by the
Carolina Panthers The Carolina Panthers are a professional American football team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Panthers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC South, South division. The t ...
in the sixth round (175th overall) of the
2010 NFL draft The 2010 NFL draft was the 75th annual meeting of National Football League (NFL) franchises to select newly eligible football players. The 2010 NFL draft, draft took place over three days, at Radio City Music Hall in New York City, with the first ...
. He was signed to a contract on June 17, 2010. Hardy managed to record a blocked punt for a
safety Safety is the state of being protected from harm or other danger. Safety can also refer to the control of recognized hazards in order to achieve an acceptable level of risk. Meanings The word 'safety' entered the English language in the 1 ...
as well as force a fumble and record 4 tackles in his rookie debut. Although Hardy had played in 15 games his rookie year, he had started none. He did, however, finish the year with 30 tackles, 3 sacks, two forced fumbles, and the aforementioned safety. Hardy recorded 11 sacks in 2012 in spite of sustaining a broken thumb in September. On November 9, 2012, Hardy was fined $15,750 for a roughing the passer penalty against
Robert Griffin III Robert Lee Griffin III (born February 12, 1990), nicknamed RGIII or RG3, is an American former professional football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for eight seasons, most notably with the Washington Redskins. He ...
versus the
Washington Redskins The Washington Commanders are a professional American football team based in the Washington metropolitan area. The Commanders compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East ...
in Week 9. On June 11, 2013, Hardy spoke to reporters during a summer minicamp claiming his goal for sacks in the 2013 season to be 50. Regarding such a lofty number, more than twice the current record, Hardy stated, "Why shoot low, right? If I'm going to shoot at it, I'm going to shoot at it with a .50 caliber. I'm going to shoot at a little bird with a .50-caliber bullet. That's the goal for this year, 50 sacks, that's where I'm at. That's the goal, 50. You heard it first." In a road victory against the Atlanta Falcons, Hardy finished with a single game team record four sacks. He ended up recording a team-record 15 sacks, earning his first trip to the
2014 Pro Bowl The 2014 Pro Bowl was the National Football League's all-star game for the 2013 season. It took place at 2:30 pm local time on January 26 at Aloha Stadium in Honolulu, Hawaii. The game was televised nationally by NBC and was the final P ...
and being named a second-team All Pro by the Associated Press. The Panthers defense finished first in the NFL with 60 sacks in 2013, second in points per game, and third in DVOA team defense. He was ranked 53rd in the NFL Top 100 for his breakout performance in the
2013 NFL season The 2013 NFL season was the 94th season in the history of the National Football League (NFL) and the 48th of the Super Bowl era. The season saw the 2013 Seattle Seahawks season, Seattle Seahawks capture the first championship in the franchise' ...
. Hardy was set to become a free agent during the 2014 offseason, but it was announced on February 28, 2014, that the Panthers had placed the
franchise tag In the National Football League (NFL), the franchise tag is a designation a team may apply to a player scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent. The tag binds the player to the team for one year if certain conditions are met. Each team has on ...
on him, allowing him to return to the field for them during the 2014 season. Hardy played the first game of the 2014 season, but was placed on the commissioner's exempt list while his domestic violence case played out. He remained there for the rest of the season. In March 2015, the Panthers decided not to re-sign Hardy. Panthers owner
Jerry Richardson Jerome Johnson Richardson Sr. (July 18, 1936 – March 1, 2023) was an American businessman, professional football player, and owner in the National Football League (NFL). A native of Spring Hope, North Carolina, he played college football f ...
made the decision to cut ties with Hardy. Despite requests from players and coaches to let Hardy have another chance, Richardson said that he made the decision not to do so because "we do the right things."


Dallas Cowboys

On March 18, 2015, Hardy signed as a
free agent In professional sports, a free agent is a player or manager who is eligible to sign with other clubs or franchises; i.e., not under contract to any specific team. The term is also used in reference to a player who is under a contract at present ...
a one-year, $11.3 million contract with the
Dallas Cowboys The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football team based in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. The Cowboys compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. T ...
. The Cowboys were looking for him to be a difference-maker at right
defensive end Defensive end (DE) is a defensive position in the sport of gridiron football. This position has designated the players at each end of the defensive line, but changes in formation (American football), formations over the years have substantially ...
and as expected, were criticized by the public and the media for the signing. On April 22, Hardy was suspended for the first 10 games of the 2015 season without pay due to violating the NFL Personal Conduct Policy. On July 10, the NFL reduced it to a 4-game suspension, in order to avoid a possible legal action on Hardy's part. His first game after the suspension came against the
New England Patriots The New England Patriots are a professional American football team based in the Greater Boston area. The Patriots compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East division. The Pa ...
. He had two sacks and five hits on
quarterback The quarterback (QB) is a position in gridiron football who are members of the offensive side of the ball and mostly line up directly behind the Lineman (football), offensive line. In modern American football, the quarterback is usually consider ...
Tom Brady Thomas Edward Patrick Brady Jr. (born August 3, 1977) is an American former professional American football, football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 23 seasons. He spent his first 20 seasons with the New Engla ...
. Two games later, against the
Seattle Seahawks The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle. The Seahawks compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC West, West division. The club entered the NFL a ...
, he tipped a pass from
Russell Wilson Russell Carrington Wilson (born November 29, 1988) is an American professional American football, football quarterback for the New York Giants of the National Football League (NFL). He has primarily played for the Seattle Seahawks. With the Sea ...
and intercepted it. After his quick start, Hardy's production dropped. He led the team in quarterback pressures (32) and was second in sacks (6), but only three of those sacks came in the last nine games. Hardy also drew the ire of coach Jason Garrett due to inappropriate tweets, frequent tardiness, and being a bad influence on the younger players on the team. The Cowboys chose not to re-sign Hardy after the season.


Spring League and indoor football

Hardy participated in
The Spring League The Spring League (TSL) was an American football Minor league football (gridiron), developmental league and scouting event (pro showcase) that played from 2017 to 2021 and was founded by Brian Woods. Aimed at professional football (gridiron), p ...
in 2017. He signed with the Richmond Roughriders of the
American Arena League The American Arena League (AAL) is a professional Indoor American football, indoor football minor league that began playing in 2018. The league was initiated by a merger between Arena Pro Football (APF) and the Can-Am Indoor Football League (Ca ...
in January 2018.


NFL career statistics


Domestic violence charges and suspension

On May 13, 2014, Hardy was arrested for assault and communicating threats, after he was alleged to have assaulted an ex-girlfriend by grabbing her, throwing her into furniture, strangling her, and threatening to kill her. On July 15, a judge found him guilty of assault and communicating threats, and sentenced him to 18 months' probation, suspending a 60-day jail sentence. When Hardy appealed the decision, requesting a jury trial, the victim failed to appear in court to testify. As a result, the prosecutor's office dropped the charges, citing their inability to locate the victim, and "reliable information" that the two parties had reached a civil settlement. Hardy's arrest and trial was the focus of considerable controversy, as news media drew comparisons to other NFL-related domestic violence cases, including those against other NFL players. Panthers head coach
Ron Rivera Ronald Eugene Rivera (born January 7, 1962) is an American football executive and former professional player and coach who is the general manager for the California Golden Bears. He played nine seasons in the National Football League (NFL) as ...
initially told news media that he was comfortable having Hardy play, but on September 14, 2014, Hardy was deactivated. On September 17, 2014, he was placed on the exempt list by the league, which meant that he could continue to draw his salary but was prohibited in taking part in any team activities. He would never play another game for the Panthers. On April 22, 2015, NFL Commissioner
Roger Goodell Roger Stokoe Goodell (born February 19, 1959) is an American businessman who has served as the National Football League Commissioner, commissioner of the National Football League (NFL) since 2006. Goodell began his NFL career in 1982 as an admi ...
suspended Hardy for 10 games, after the league's two-month-long investigation found that there was "sufficient credible evidence" that Hardy had engaged in conduct which "violated NFL policies in multiple respects and with aggravating circumstances." The league's investigation had concluded that Hardy used physical force in at least four instances, including placing his hands around the victim's neck with enough pressure to leave visible marks, and that his actions were "a significant act of violence in violation of the Personal Conduct Policy." On July 10, 2015, an arbiter reduced Hardy's suspension from ten games to four games. On November 5, 2015, the domestic violence charges against Hardy were
expunged In the common law legal systems of the world, legal system, an expungement or expunction proceeding, is a type of lawsuit in which an individual who has been arrested for or convicted of a crime seeks that the records of that earlier process be Re ...
from his record. The following day, ''
Deadspin ''Deadspin'' is a sports blog owned by Lineup Publishing. Founded by Will Leitch in 2005 and originally based in Chicago, it was then sold to Gawker Media, Univision Communications and G/O Media. Lineup Publishing acquired it in March 2024, t ...
'' released police photographs of Hardy's ex-girlfriend's injuries. On September 26, 2016, Hardy was arrested for
cocaine Cocaine is a tropane alkaloid and central nervous system stimulant, derived primarily from the leaves of two South American coca plants, ''Erythroxylum coca'' and ''Erythroxylum novogranatense, E. novogranatense'', which are cultivated a ...
possession in
Dallas Dallas () is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the most populous city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the List of Texas metropolitan areas, most populous metropolitan area in Texas and the Metropolitan statistical area, fourth-most ...
, Texas. On June 4, 2025, it was reported that Hardy was arrested for allegedly assaulting a family member. Specifically, the records show he was booked on a charge of "assault causes bodily injury family member".


Personal life

Hardy has a daughter and a son.


Mixed martial arts career


Amateur career

In October 2016, Hardy announced he would start a
mixed martial arts Mixed martial arts (MMA) is a full-contact fighting combat sport, sport based on strike (attack), striking and grappling; incorporating techniques from various combat sports from around the world. In the early 20th century, various inter-s ...
career and had been training for several months, although he had no previous experience in MMA. Hardy made his amateur MMA debut on November 4, 2017, in which he defeated Joe Hawkins by knockout in a 32-second match. Hardy's amateur MMA record improved to 2–0 on December 1, 2017, with another first-round TKO victory, this time over debuting amateur Kenneth Woods. On February 16, 2018, Hardy was victorious in his third amateur bout, defeating Ryan Chester via knockout 14 seconds into the first round.


Professional career

In April 2018, it was announced that Hardy would make his professional debut at Dana White's Contender Series 9 on June 12. He fought fellow former
NFL The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league in the United States. Composed of 32 teams, it is divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The N ...
defensive end Austen Lane and won by a knockout in the first round. Afterwards, he was awarded a contract by the UFC. For his second professional fight, Hardy faced Tebaris Gordon on the Dana White's Contender Series 16 of Dana White's Tuesday Night Contender Series. He won by TKO in the fight's opening minute. Following the win over Gordon, Hardy said he was committed to his MMA career and would only consider a return to the NFL if it was with the Dallas Cowboys or the Carolina Panthers. For the third fight of his professional career, Hardy faced Rasheem Jones at Xtreme Fight Night 352 on September 29, 2018. He won by knockout at 53 seconds in the first round.


Ultimate Fighting Championship

After obtaining an undefeated professional record of 3–0, with all 3 wins coming by way of knockout inside one minute, Hardy made his
Ultimate Fighting Championship The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promoter (entertainment), promotion company based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is owned and operated by TKO Group Holdings, a majority owned subsidiary of Endeavor ( ...
promotional debut against
Allen Crowder Allen Crowder (born November 8, 1989) is a retired American mixed martial artist who competed in the heavyweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). Background Allen Crowder's nickname "Pretty Boy" comes from his amateur care ...
on January 19, 2019, at UFC Fight Night: Cejudo vs. Dillashaw. Hardy lost the fight via disqualification. Hardy hit Crowder with his knee while Crowder was down on the ground, leaving Crowder unable to continue. For his second UFC fight, Hardy faced Dmitry Smolyakov on April 27, 2019, at UFC Fight Night: Jacaré vs. Hermansson. He won the fight via TKO in the first round. Hardy faced
Juan Adams Juan Adams (born January 16, 1992) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) fighter and currently competes in the heavyweight division. Adams is currently signed to BYB Bare Knuckle Boxing in the super heavyweight division. He formerly competed ...
on July 20, 2019, at UFC on ESPN 4. He won the fight via TKO in the first round. Hardy was scheduled to face Jarjis Danho on October 26, 2019, at
UFC Fight Night 162 ''UFC Fight Night: Maia vs. Askren'' (also known as ''UFC Fight Night 162'' or '' UFC on ESPN+ 20'') was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that took place on October 26, 2019 at the Singapore Indoor Stadiu ...
. However, Danho was pulled from the event for undisclosed reasons. In turn, Hardy was rescheduled and faced promotional newcomer Ben Sosoli a week earlier at UFC on ESPN 6. He originally won the fight via unanimous decision; however, Hardy's non-permitted use of an inhaler in between the second and third round caused the Massachusetts State Athletic Commission to overrule the original decision to a no contest. In a quick turnaround, Hardy took a major step up in competition and replaced
Junior dos Santos Junior dos Santos (; born 30 January 1984) is a Brazilian mixed martial artist and former professional wrestler who competes in the Heavyweight division. He is a former UFC Heavyweight Champion and current Gamebred Bareknuckle MMA Heavyweigh ...
to face Alexander Volkov on November 9, 2019, at UFC Fight Night 163. Hardy lost the fight via unanimous decision. Hardy was initially scheduled to face Yorgan De Castro on March 28, 2020, at UFC on ESPN: Ngannou vs. Rozenstruik. Due to the
COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...
, the event was eventually postponed . However, on April 9,
Dana White Dana Frederick White Jr. (born July 28, 1969) is an American businessman who is the CEO and president of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), a global mixed martial arts organization. In August 2019, White's net worth was estimated at . Out ...
, the president of UFC announced that this event was postponed and the bout eventually took place on May 9, 2020. Hardy won the fight via unanimous decision. Hardy faced Maurice Greene on October 31, 2020, at UFC Fight Night 181. He won the fight via technical knockout in round two. Hardy faced
Marcin Tybura Marcin Tybura (born November 9, 1985) is a Polish professional mixed martial artist. He currently competes in the Heavyweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). A professional competitor since 2011, Tybura previously fought for ...
on December 19, 2020, at UFC Fight Night 183. He knocked down Tybura in the first round but lost the fight in the second round via technical knockout. Hardy faced
Tai Tuivasa Tai Anthony Tuivasa (born 16 March 1993) is an Australian professional mixed martial artist. He currently competes in the Heavyweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). As of June 10, 2025, he is #11 in the UFC heavyweight r ...
on July 10, 2021, at
UFC 264 ''UFC 264: Poirier vs. McGregor 3'' was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that took place on July 10, 2021 at the T-Mobile Arena in Paradise, Nevada, part of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Area, United States. ...
. He lost the fight via knockout in round one. Hardy was scheduled to face
Aleksei Oleinik Aleksei Alexeyevich Oleinik (born June 25, 1977, as Oleksíy Oleksíyovych Olíynyk) is a Russian mixed martial artist and combat sambo fighter who fought for the Ultimate Fighting Championship, competing in their heavyweight division. He beg ...
on January 22, 2022, at
UFC 270 ''UFC 270: Ngannou vs. Gane'' was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that took place on January 22, 2022, at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California. Background A UFC Heavyweight Championship title unificat ...
. However, Oleynik withdrew from the event for undisclosed reasons and he was replaced by
Serghei Spivac Serghei Spivac (born January 24, 1995) is a Moldovan professional mixed martial artist who competes in the Heavyweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). A professional since 2014, he has also formerly competed for World Warrio ...
. In turn, just a week before the event Hardy withdrew due to a finger injury and the bout was removed from the event. The pair was moved to UFC 272 on March 5, 2022. Hardy lost the fight via technical knockout in round one. Having fought out his contract, Hardy became a free agent after he was not re-signed by the organization.


Post UFC

Hardy was scheduled to face
Chase Sherman Chase Sherman (born November 16, 1989) is an American professional mixed martial artist and former bare-knuckle boxer. A professional MMA competitor since 2014, he has competed for the UFC and Titan FC. Background Born and raised in D'Ibervi ...
on November 15, 2024, at ''Gamebred Bareknuckle MMA 8''. However, Hardy withdrew for unknown reasons.


Global Fight League

On December 11, 2024, it was announced that Hardy was eligible to be drafted in the Global Fight League. However, he was not drafted for the 2025 season. In turn, in April 2025, it was reported that all GFL events were cancelled indefinitely.


Professional boxing career


Hardy vs. Cook

On October 8, 2022, Hardy made his professional boxing debut against Mike Cook. Hardy won via
knockout A knockout (abbreviated to KO or K.O.) is a fight-ending, winning criterion in several full-contact combat sports, such as boxing, kickboxing, Muay Thai, mixed martial arts, karate, some forms of taekwondo and other sports involving striking, ...
in the 2nd round.


Rahman Jr. vs. Hardy

On November 19, 2022, Hardy fought American
professional boxer Professional boxing, or prizefighting, is regulated, sanctioned boxing. Professional boxing bouts are fought for a purse that is divided between the boxers as determined by contract. Most professional fights are supervised by a regulatory auth ...
Hasim Rahman Jr. on the undercard of MF & DAZN: X Series 003. Hardy took the fight on 1 week notice after Rahman Jr.'s previous opponent,
Vitor Belfort Vítor Vieira Belfort (; born 1 April 1977) is a Brazilian professional boxer and retired mixed martial artist who competed for the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), where he fought in the Heavyweight, Light Heavyweight, and Middleweight d ...
, withdrew after testing positive for
COVID-19 Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. In January 2020, the disease spread worldwide, resulting in the COVID-19 pandemic. The symptoms of COVID‑19 can vary but often include fever ...
. Hardy defeated Rahman Jr. via
unanimous decision A unanimous decision (UD) is a winning criterion in several full-contact combat sports, such as boxing, kickboxing, Muay Thai, mixed martial arts and other sports involving striking and submission in which all three judges agree on which fighte ...
.


Corbin vs. Hardy

On September 30, 2023, Hardy fought American
professional boxer Professional boxing, or prizefighting, is regulated, sanctioned boxing. Professional boxing bouts are fought for a purse that is divided between the boxers as determined by contract. Most professional fights are supervised by a regulatory auth ...
Gregory Corbin at the Tower Club in Dallas. He won the fight by retirement after the first round.


Papin vs. Hardy

On December 13, 2024, Hardy faced
Alexei Papin Alexey Vasilyevich Papin (; born 6 October 1987) is a Russian boxer and former kickboxer who has held the IBF International title in 2018 and 2019. Kickboxing career He challenged Nenad Pagonis for W.A.K.O. Pro Low-Kick Rules Cruiser Heavyw ...
in Russia and was knocked out in the third round.


Bare-knuckle boxing career


Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship

After his tenure in the UFC, news surfaced on June 15, 2022, that Hardy had signed a multi-fight contract with the
Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship The Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship (BKFC) is an American bare-knuckle boxing promotion based in Philadelphia. The promotion was founded in April 2018, and is presided over by David Feldman. BKFC is the first promotion to hold an official st ...
. Hardy made his bare-knuckle debut against Josh Watson at BKFC KnuckleMania 3 on February 17, 2023. Hardy lost the fight by knockout in round 2.


Exhibition boxing career


Team Combat League

Hardy has competed in numerous exhibition rounds with Team Combat League boxing promotion. On June 2, 2023, Hardy was knocked out by Alexander Flores which was his first loss since joining the promotion with the Dallas Enforcers boxing team. On May 23, 2024, Hardy was knocked out by professional boxer Patrick Mailata.


Championships and accomplishments


Mixed martial arts

*
Ultimate Fighting Championship The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promoter (entertainment), promotion company based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is owned and operated by TKO Group Holdings, a majority owned subsidiary of Endeavor ( ...
**UFC.com Awards ***2019: Ranked #9 Newcomer of the Year


Mixed martial arts record

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Professional boxing record


Exhibition boxing record


Bare-knuckle boxing record

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References


External links


Greg Hardy at Pro Football Reference
* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Hardy, Greg 1988 births Living people People from Millington, Tennessee Sportspeople from Shelby County, Tennessee Players of American football from Tennessee American football defensive ends Ole Miss Rebels football players Ole Miss Rebels men's basketball players Carolina Panthers players Dallas Cowboys players Unconferenced Pro Bowl players The Spring League players American male mixed martial artists Richmond Roughriders players Heavyweight mixed martial artists American men's basketball players Ultimate Fighting Championship male fighters 21st-century African-American sportsmen 20th-century African-American sportsmen 20th-century American sportsmen Florida Republicans American male boxers Boxers from Tennessee