The lottery for who gets to fight Heavyweight Greg Hardy in his second professional fight is over. Last night Ariel Helwani reported via espn.com that Hardy will be fighting undefeated Heavyweight Tebaris “Boom” Gordon. The fight will take place on August 7th on Dana White’s Tuesday Night Contender Series.
“Boom” Gordon is 29 years old and 3-0 as a professional with all three wins coming via knockout. With his last fight coming in December of 2017, Gordon explained his time off.
“No. Honestly, we were trying to find fights. Most of the fights I’ve had offered I would say yes. Whoever they had offered , they would end up changing their minds. It’s been like six or seven fights that have been turned down. That’s why I had to sit and wait. When I got this offer I hurried up and jumped on it.”
As is the case with most fighters, Gordon has dreamed about getting his opportunity in the UFC. An impressive win over Hardy would put Gordon in a prime position to achieve his dreams.
“Greg Hardy is a tough opponent. What better way to try and make it into the UFC than fight a tough opponent? When my manager hit me up and asked me ‘did I want it?’, I said yes automatically. It’s just a great chance to make it to the UFC. It’s been a dream of mine for some years since I started doing MMA. It’s here. I just have to take advantage of it.”
Hardy has a very impressive Pro Debut when he finished Austin Lane in under a minute. From what Gordon saw, Hardy looked great. Just don’t expect that same result when these two meet in early August.
“I didn’t get to watch it, but I did see it on the highlights, what happened. Once he knocked the guy out. He is very good. Athletic. Very strong. Obviously got power in them hands, but ya know, it’s going to be a fight. It won’t be 57 second easy knockout coming, ya know, he’s going to have to fight.”
Though Hardy’s talent is undeniable, him being signed to a contract hasn’t come without scrutiny. His checkered past has made him one of the most polarizing figures in the sport today. Gordon won’t be focused on that come fight night.
“I don’t really think about it too much. People make mistakes. People make mistakes and they happen. It is what it is. Hopefully he’s gotten better since then. I don’t really have no ill will towards him for what he did. I guess he turned his life around…”
We are about four weeks away from the fight and how things will play out will continue to be debated. No matter our opinion, Gordon’s story is a great one. A football coach and father of three preparing for a fight to make all of his dreams come true. “Boom” only has one thing to say to Hardy before their fight.
“Be ready. It’s going to be a fight.”
