Report: Greg Hardy Will Face Online Nemesis In Next UFC Bout
Greg Hardy’s next UFC fight is reportedly close to being finalized.
And it could result in the first real rivalry of his controversial mixed martial arts (MMA) career.
According to a report from ESPN.com, the UFC is close to finalizing about between Hardy and fellow rising heavyweight Juan Adams. The bout will reportedly take place at July 20’s UFC San Antonio. Each side has agreed to the fight, but contracts have not been officially signed as of this report. The event is slated to air on ESPN from the AT&T Center in San Antonio.
The booking is noteworthy in that Adams has consistently called out Hardy on social media. He frequently uses a ‘f***GregHardy’ hashtag on social media. Adams has also revealed he “hates” the former NFL star in several interviews. One of Adam’s more prominent jabs at Hardy came during April’s NFL draft when he posted the following:
“Watching NFL draft for more future dropouts that the UFC will sign for publicity stunts like this f***ing clown Greg Hardy.”
Hardy’s First Real Rivalry?
Hardy, of course, comes with the controversial stigma of his history with domestic violence during his successful-but-maligned NFL career. For their part, the UFC, mainly President Dana White, has maintained that Hardy has done everything he can to take full advantage of a new lease on life. His MMA career featured a rapid rise of brutal first-round knockouts on the regional scene before he made his UFC debut this January.
There, he lost to Allen Crowder due to disqualification for an illegal knee. Hardy rebounded with a first-round TKO over a grossly overmatched Dmitry Smoliakov in April.
As for Adams, he recently dropped the first bout of his UFC career. Arjan Singh Bhullar beat him on the judges’ cards at May 4’s UFC Ottawa. Prior to the decision defeat, “The Kraken” had railed off five straight knockout victories, with four coming in the first round. He’s obviously campaigned hard for the Hardy fight, and it appears his efforts have paid off.
While Hardy has avoided responding to Adams’ digs online so far, sources told ESPN he is aware of them. A heated rivalry was always coming for Hardy due to his sordid past.
He may have it now.
