Controversial former UFC heavyweight and NFL Pro Bowler Greg Hardy has signed on with BKFC.
The deal with the bare-knuckle boxing org comes on the heels of Hardy signing on for a pro boxing match later this year. It sees the big man continue in combat sports while forgoing the ground game, which often proved to be his downfall in MMA.
BKFC officials announced the news on Wednesday. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
SIGNED ✍️ Welcome to BKFC @GregHardyJr pic.twitter.com/JrVNxJqTSA
— Bare Knuckle FC (@bareknucklefc) June 15, 2022
Hardy (7-5, 1NC MMA) started out as a professional football player, drafted by the Carolina Panthers in 2010 out of college. By 2014, the defensive end made his first trip to the Pro Bowl, setting a team record for sacks during the 2013 season.
During the 2014 off-season, however, a domestic violence incident saw Hardy convicted, only for the conviction to be overturned when his accuser failed to testify. Hardy was not re-signed by the Panthers, and while picked up by the Dallas Cowboys, he didn’t last long there either.
After essentially being blacklisted by the NFL, Hardy turned to fighting, going 3-0 as an amateur before turning pro in 2018. He won his first two fights as a professional, including two appearances on Dana White’s Contender Series. Landing in the UFC, he would lose his debut in a DQ due to an illegal knee, win a couple of fights, then ended up in a No Contest against Ben Sosoli after using an inhaler between rounds.
Hardy then faced Alexander Volkov in Russia in a losing effort, before winning two more fights, against Yorgan De Castro and Maurice Greene. It felt like he might actually stick around at that point, but a three-fight skid saw his UFC contract expire earlier this year. Hardy was not re-signed.
No debut date or opponent has been reported for Hardy in BKFC.
