Greg Hardy
Gregory McKarl Hardy[1] (born July 28, 1988) is an American mixed martial artist, boxer, and former football defensive end.Hardy played college football for the Ole Miss Rebels and was selected by the Panthers in the sixth round of the 2010 NFL draft.His most successful season was in 2013 when he set the Panthers single-season record for sacks, earning him Pro Bowl and second-team All-Pro honors.[2] Although the case was dismissed after the victim failed to appear in court, the ensuing controversy led to him not being re-signed by the Panthers after playing one game with them in 2014.Hardy was considered one of the best pass rushers eligible for the 2009 NFL draft but he elected to return to Ole Miss for his senior season.[7] On July 12, 2009, he was involved in a car accident along with teammate Dexter McCluster, where he aggravated the foot injury and was put back in a walking cast.As a senior, he appeared in 9 out of 13 games (including the Cotton Bowl Classic), after missing the final three regular-season contests because of a surgery on his fractured left wrist.[14] On November 9, 2012, Hardy was fined $15,750 for a roughing the passer penalty against Robert Griffin III versus the Washington Redskins in Week 9.Hardy was set to become a free agent during the 2014 offseason, but it was announced on February 28, 2014, that the Panthers had placed the franchise tag on him, allowing him to return to the field for them during the 2014 season.On April 22, Hardy was suspended for the first 10 games of the 2015 season without pay due to violating the NFL Personal Conduct Policy.Hardy also drew the ire of coach Jason Garrett due to inappropriate tweets, frequent tardiness, and being a bad influence on the younger players on the team.As a result, the prosecutor's office dropped the charges, citing their inability to locate the victim, and "reliable information" that the two parties had reached a civil settlement.[28][29] Hardy's arrest and trial was the focus of considerable controversy, as news media drew comparisons to other NFL-related domestic violence cases, including those against other NFL players.[31] On September 17, 2014, he was placed on the exempt list by the league, which meant that he could continue to draw his salary but was prohibited in taking part in any team activities.The league's investigation had concluded that Hardy used physical force in at least four instances, including placing his hands around the victim's neck with enough pressure to leave visible marks, and that his actions were "a significant act of violence in violation of the Personal Conduct Policy.[36] In October 2016, Hardy announced he would start a mixed martial arts career and had been training for several months, although he had no previous experience in MMA.[45] Following the win over Gordon, Hardy said he was committed to his MMA career and would only consider a return to the NFL if it was with the Dallas Cowboys or the Carolina Panthers.In turn, Hardy was rescheduled and faced promotional newcomer Ben Sosoli a week earlier at UFC on ESPN 6.[55] In a quick turnaround, Hardy took a major step up in competition and replaced Junior dos Santos to face Alexander Volkov on November 9, 2019, at UFC Fight Night 163.[79] On November 19, 2022, Hardy fought American professional boxer Hasim Rahman Jr. on the undercard of MF & DAZN: X Series 003.[80] Hardy took the fight on 1 week notice after Rahman Jr.'s previous opponent, Vitor Belfort, withdrew after testing positive for COVID-19.[84] After his tenure in the UFC, news surfaced on June 15, 2022, that Hardy had signed a multi-fight contract with the Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship.[87][88] On June 2, 2023, Hardy was knocked out by Alexander Flores which was his first loss since joining the promotion with the Dallas Enforcers boxing team.