On the same night that North American sports were let out of quarantine, documented domestic abuser Greg Hardy demonstrated his deceptively improving striking game in the Octagon.
Hardy blasted a mostly complacent Yorgan de Castro at UFC 249, outpointing the formerly undefeated fighter with the very same blows that made him famous in the NFL, and infamous in the judicial system. Hardy earned an unanimous decision win to open the UFC 249 Pay-Per-View card, intimidating the much smaller de Castro with feints and looping overhands.
The beatdown was vintage Hardy.
In 2014, Hardy was found guilty of assaulting his then-girlfriend Nicole Holder and sentenced to 18 months probation. The conviction was later dismissed on appeal after the woman he pummeled refused to testify.
Competing in a big-time MMA fight the night after former middleweight contender Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza tested positive for COVID-19, Hardy demonstrated significant growth as a mixed martial artist at UFC 249. Rather than storming out the gate and firing off the strikes and chokes that first put him on Jerry Jones’ radar, Hardy executed a new, patient approach. He actually looked like an MMA fighter for once and not an out of control maniac as he’s been known to be in previous bouts in apartments in Charlotte, N.C.
Hardy fell behind early in the fight, suffering significant damage to his lead left leg. Still inexperienced, Hardy opted to press forward and eat shots in the orthodox stance rather than switch stances or opt for any of the other martial arts disciplines. Hardy essentially outlasted de Castro’s best efforts, implementing his significant height and reach advantage to earn the win with strikes from the perimeter.
Discussing his history as an asthmatic during fight week — in 2019, Hardy was stripped of a win by the Massachusetts Athletic Commission for the use of an inhaler in between rounds — Hardy expressed some fear of competing in the Octagon while most of the country remains in lockdown directly related to the Coronavirus.
Early in the fight, de Castro found his range, connecting with close range hooks to stun the imposing Hardy. However, Hardy, who has ironically relabeled himself as the “Prince of War” during this second act as an MMA fighter, found the resolve to withstand the barrage and fight back like no domestic abuse survivor has ever been able to before.
Aside from a swollen and damaged left leg, Hardy controlled the fight. He was more dominant inside the Octagon against de Castro than he was on the line of scrimmage for the Carolina Panthers, and later the Cowboys after Jerry Jones temporarily resuscitated the DE’s career after domestic abuse oh-so briefly derailed Hardy’s career.
The win is Hardy’s third inside the Octagon, and first by decision. No word on whether de Castro will decline to testify, or at least offer a post-fight interview.
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