Hardy Looking To Prove He’s Ready For A Title Shot

In the middle of his most recent venture, Greg Hardy is ready to do whatever it takes to get to the top. That includes staying on “Fight Island” and holding down the fort. The prize could end up being his crowning moment.

Hardy (5-2, 1NC) spoke to TMZ about fighting multiple times for the UFC this year. The former football star stated he wants to break his record and fight six times in a year. He is even willing to do so on “Fight Island”, UFC President Dana White’s creation in the wake of the coronavirus. Why exactly would he want to fight multiple times in a short period of time this year?

“One: you know me. I’m entertaining, man,” Hardy said, via MMA Junkie. “I’m always smiling and enjoying. Watching fights would be a perfect remedy for just everything that’s happening right now –watching some of your favorite entertainers go out and go crazy and enjoy themselves. Two: I think my mentality has always been the same as far as holding it down for the team. These guys need to put on a big card. They need some big draws. They need some people that are down to fight, you know, besides the BS. I wanted to be the first guy to step up and say, ‘I’ve got you guys.’”

Making his presence known during Dana White’s Contender Series, Hardy made his official UFC debut in January 2019, losing to Allen Crowder via DQ. New to the rules, the controversial Hardy hit an illegal knee in the second round. He then beat Dmitry Smolyakov and Juan Adams via TKO before having a fight against Ben Sosoli overturned to a no-contest. Hardy used his inhaler between rounds. His last fight was a unanimous decision loss to Alexander Volkov.

Hardy’s first fight of 2020 will be at UFC 249 on May 9 against Yorgan De Castro. If he was to beat De Castro, what does Hardy believe will be next for him?

“This is my dream scenario… After this fight, I come back, get this knockout, remind everybody who it is. I think the UFC starts at the top fifteen? I think we can start with 15 and go down the line,” Hardy went on to say. “Fifteen fights later, I knock out the guy who’s holding the belt, whoever that is.

“Go down the whole line so everybody can just shush, calm down, wait their turn, and get knocked the crap out. I think it would one: give me more time to get more experience with the best, which is what I need. Two: nobody can talk trash because I’d be fighting all the best, everybody with a number.”

Due to the idea of it being unknown when exactly people will fight and where, Hardy is willing to wait, whether on “Fight Island” or in the United States.

“Dana, man, listen. If you’ve got quarters, I will stay on that island, bro. You know I’m not ashamed to move in. We can fight every couple of weeks, dude,” Hardy said. “With all seriousness, let’s run it. I’ll live on it and break my own record that I tied last year – 100 percent.”

Hardy’s fight with De Castro on May 9 will take place inside the VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Florida.