Dana White Insists Greg Hardy Isn’t Ready For UFC
Greg Hardy impresses Dana White. But not enough to bring him up to the UFC quite yet.
Hardy was a two-time competitor on White’s “Tuesday Night Contender Series” on UFC Fight Pass. Both were dominant showings for the ex-NFL star.
With that being said, White told the “UFC Unfiltered” podcast that, despite being impressed with Hardy’s performances, they’ll wait a bit longer before calling him up to the UFC (via MMA Junkie):
“That was an impressive win,” White said. “The other wins he’s had, he’s been in there with guys standing and trading, and he ended up catching them and knock them out. This one, he actually gets his back, controls the arm and starts hammer-fisting him.
“Very impressive. He’s a guy that we’ll continue to bring up, continue to get him fights, and we’ll make the decision when he’s finally ready to come to the UFC.”
Hardy made the career switch back in 2016. He trains out of American Top Team (ATT) in Coconut Beach, Florida. Hardy dominated the regional scene with a 3-0 record as an amateur. He finished all of his opponents by way of knockout in the first round.
A Rising Star?
That dominance carried over into his professional career, as he made his pro-MMA debut in June. Hardy fought Austen Lane on Dana White‘s “Tuesday Night Contender Series” and won via knockout. He returned two months later and dispatched Tebaris Gordon in 17 seconds via TKO.
Recently, Hardy competed in his first professional MMA fight outside the UFC umbrella. He defeated Rasheem Jones with a first-round knockout in under a minute for the Xtreme Fight Night promotion. Hardy’s physical attributes and knockout power have certainly been shining through in his first few fights as a pro.
Perhaps one day the MMA world will get to see it on a much larger scale inside the UFC’s Octagon.
