“It’s lions and sheep,” said Greg Hardy following his win over Juan Adams at UFC San Antonio. And he’s not concerned about the opinions of the latter.
San Antonio, TX — Love him or hate him, Greg Hardy may be in the UFC for a while to come. Earning his second win in the promotion against Juan Adams Saturday at UFC San Antonio, Hardy showed that he could survive against a motivated opponent. An opponent out to make an example of him.
Instead, the former NFL’er turned heavyweight made an example of Adams, getting the TKO stoppage within a round. “I feel like saying I told you so,” Hardy told media outlets including Cageside Press post-fight.
“I said it was going to happen and it did happen. I’m pretty sure he went to the hospital,” he added.
Hardy never really took much of Adam’s trash talk ahead of the fight to heart, he claimed. Instead, he “let it go. I let it go instantly when he said it.” According to Hardy, “I heard if all second hand from you guys or from other sources. It was all about the fight. It was all about disconnecting him from his consciousness.”
Which is more or less what happened at UFC San Antonio, although Adams certainly disputed the stoppage. But to Greg Hardy, his opponent “came in arrogant, he came in with the same game plan that everybody else came in with, and got the same result.”
At least the former NFL defensive end got to show some takedown defense. “Who saw the whizzer? That’s all I’m saying. I’m super proud of myself,” he boasted. “Shout out to my wrestling coaches. Best in the country, best in the world. I’m making little developments. Everybody wants to talk about the cockiness and the little things I say on camera, but everybody forgets the last statement — I go back, and I’m going to work. I’m going to fix things, I’m going to add skills. This is an everyday occurrence, this is an everyday thing and I’m not doing away.”
Hardy once again did not get to show his full arsenal, mind you. After breaking out some kicks during the open workouts, he was forced to contend with another opponent looking to drag him to the mat. “If you can convince these guys to stop trying to take me down, I’ll give it to you, all. I’ll give you all of it,” he said when asked when we might see his full skill set. “You can have the whole book, man. There’s a whole lot that you guys haven’t seen yet.”
“I think there’s a whole lot to come in the future of the Prince of War,” he added shortly after. “You just gotta keep tuning in.”
In the octagon in San Antonio, Adams came out tentative despite all the trash talk. Asked whether he was surprised by that, Hardy answered that he no longer worries about the emotions, or the opinions of his opponents period. Who he sees as sheep to his lion. “That’s something that I put behind me after the Allen Crowder fight. Emotion has nothing to do with this. It’s lions and sheep, and I do not concern myself with their opinions, their thoughts, how they feel — nothing. All they are is food.”
“I did not see that,” Hardy said when asked if he saw Adams post-fight antics. Adams had a few choice words, leaving the octagon prior to the winner being announced. “I was having such a good time just enjoying the victory. I didn’t see him in the ring when [the ref] was raising my hand.” Despite Adams reaction, Hardy didn’t take the bait, and said the right things. “But God bless him. He’s a young man. I was young. We all remember the mistakes I was making when I was a kid. Hopefully he learns, he gets better. Comes back. If he wants another knockout, I’ll send him to the hospital again. Maybe just learn some lessons and be better. That’s what we’re preaching out here. We’re becoming better human beings. We’re raising the bar, and I want to be that guy.”
Watch the full post-fight press scrum with Greg Hardy from UFC San Antonio (UFC on ESPN 4) above!
