Greg Hardy Reacts To Criticism Over UFC Brooklyn Illegal Knee Strike
Greg Hardy reacts to criticism from fight fans regarding his UFC debut at the UFC Brooklyn event. Hardy hit Allen Crowder with an illegal knee strike to the head that ended his promotional debut in the co-headliner. The UFC on ESPN+ 1 event down at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.
Up to this point, he was under a rare developmental contract where the UFC is paying him to fight in the minor leagues. While doing a recent interview, Hardy opened up on the harsh comments from people getting to him. Thus, he admitted that it had been affecting him.
“I was in a bad place, bro. It kind of hurt me,” Hardy told TMZ Sports (transcript via MMA Mania). “You guys cover me for a long time, I hate losing, bro. I’m not a loser, for one. For two, I hate people thinking that I’m a cheater and just the way that it was all formed and shaped. It kind of hurt me, man.”
When it comes to the elephant in the room, the former NFL star claimed that it really was a timing issue and didn’t do it on purpose.
“Looking back and listening to the rule, I didn’t really understand the rule,” he said. “It was a different understanding. And the crazy thing is, in my mind, I wasn’t even gonna risk it, you know? I was literally waiting for him to get up. I saw the knee come up, and he grabbed the back of my other leg, so it feels like he’s standing up, man. And I was trying to time it.”
