Despite entering just the second fight of his UFC career this weekend – his debut being a loss – former NFL star Greg Hardy is extremely confident that he is levels ahead of his fellow heavyweights both athletically and physically.
Speaking to MMA Junkie during a recent media day, Hardy admitted that he has a ways to go in regards to fight IQ and training experience. However, physically, nobody matches up with the former Carolina Panther:
“I don’t think I matchup with anybody,” Hardy said. “I think I might be the biggest person in the UFC. Hopefully I’m the fastest, one of the most athletic. I think the only difference between me and everybody else is my intelligence in the game and my training experience.
“I’ve been working every day tirelessly trying to catch up on that, but athletically and physically, there’s no comparison.”
Hardy made strides in his mixed martial arts (MMA) debut, stopping all three of his first opponents early in the first round by way of knockout. He co-main evented the UFC’s debut on ESPN in January, facing off against Allen Crowder. Hardy looked like he might have been on his way to losing a decision on the scorecards had the fight played out the way it was going at the time.
However, an illegal knee from Hardy stopped the fight, resulting in a disqualification loss for the 30-year-old. Now, he’s hoping to bounce back against Dmitrii Smoliakov on April 27 at UFC on ESPN 3, where he’ll again be featured in the co-headliner.
Given his history with domestic abuse, the mixed martial arts (MMA) community has welcomed Hardy as a heel – to steal from professional wrestling terminology. Given his recent comments, Hardy seems to welcome the role, and relish in it.
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