Greg Hardy’s transition from the NFL to combat sports has been a rollercoaster of highs and lows.
After wrapping up his football career, Hardy entered the UFC heavyweight division in 2019, making his debut with a disqualification loss to Allen Crowder. He rebounded with knockout victories over lower-tier opponents but faced stiffer competition as his career progressed.
Hardy suffered a decision loss to Alexander Volkov but bounced back with two wins before his UFC stint ended on a sour note — three consecutive knockout losses to Marcin Tybura, Tai Tuivasa, and Serghei Spivac.
Following his UFC departure, Hardy shifted to boxing, where he built a 3-0 professional record before his most recent fight. On Friday night, at the Fight Club REN TV Super Series in Moscow, Russia, Hardy faced Aleksei Papin, an opponent with 18 wins.
The bout, scheduled for six three-minute rounds, ended in the third when Papin rocked Hardy with a decisive blow, ultimately sending him crashing to the canvas with just 90 seconds left in the round.
After the fight, Hardy reflected on Instagram:
“I came to Russia alone on short notice to fight a monster with 18 wins and tested my metal. Got two knock downs and went toe to toe. I don’t take easy fights, I don’t fight fake fights — I fight real killers and sometimes the price is high, but I will pay it to become the best, no? Thank you to everyone that helped me get to this point.”
