Former NFL and Ole Miss defensive end Greg Hardy is set to make his UFC debut next month.
UFC President Dana White announced that Hardy would make his debut Jan. 19 in Brooklyn, New York. Hardy will face heavyweight Allen Crowder in his first battle in the octagon. (RELATED: NEW: Kareem Hunt Accused Of A 3rd Violent Act Just This Year. Read The Scary Details)
Breaking: Per Dana White, UFC is close to finalizing Greg Hardy’s UFC debut against heavyweight Allen Crowder on Jan. 19 in Brooklyn. pic.twitter.com/bepjPf1hQX
— Brett Okamoto (@bokamotoESPN) December 5, 2018
A pro-bowl defensive player for the Carolina Panthers, Hardy became infamous in 2014 after allegedly pushing a woman into a bed of guns. Following the incident, the Panthers refused to resign the free agent defensive end. Hardy ended up with the Dallas Cowboys during the 2015 season, which was his last in the league. It’s widely believed that the incident ended Hardy’s career.
Now Hardy will try to re-build his brand as an MMA fighter starting shortly after the new year.
When he enters the octagon, Hardy will join a long list of former football players who have gone the NFL-to-MMA route, most notably Herschel Walker.
Former Alabama football linebacker Eryk Anders, who played in the SEC during the same time period as Hardy, has become one of the top stars in the UFC. We’ll see if the troubled defensive end can find a new niche in similar fashion.