Heather Hardy Turned A Hobby Into A Passion
Heather Hardy needed fighting. Not only to put food on her table, but as an outlet from her hectic life as a single mother. The Brooklyn born and bred boxer turned MMA competitor was working multiple jobs to keep her, her sister, and their children afloat during a difficult time where neither of their ex-husband’s paying child support.
According to Hardy in an exclusive chat with FIGHT SPORTS, that there was a karate school that had recently opened up near her home, and her sister decided that Hardy needed a hobby and got her a gift certificate to the school. Ever since then Hardy turned into one of the most dominating fighters in boxing, holding firm at 20-0 inside the ring and competing inside her hometown Barclays Center.
Yet, Hardy told FIGHT SPORTS that wasn’t making enough as a fighter that she believed she should have been making. Even though the dazzling fighter with unbeatable charisma was one of the more popular female fighters, she was under compensated in comparison to male fighters. So she decided to go where the money was, Mixed Martial Arts.
“It was 100% initially about the money. I was not making money in boxing, working around the clock to make ends meet.”
All of that changed for Hardy when she made her Bellator debut earlier in 2017 inside the home of boxing, Madison Square Garden… On that night, not only did Hardy get the win, but she also fell in love with Mixed Martial Arts.
“That memory is up there with winning nationals, winning my WBC title, and giving birth to my daughter.”
On Friday night she will return to the cage and take on the debuting Kristina Williams on the main card of Bellator 185, and is looking to improve upon what she did on pay per view.
“After the fight… even though it couldn’t have ended in a more dramatic way, I’d still give myself a B+… I got out of there thinking I could do so much better than that.”
Hardy tells FIGHT SPORTS that she’s stepped it up in camp, learning new ways to transition from jiu-jitsu to striking, utilizing a variety of sparring partners to “throw her in the air,” and is looking forward to having champagne after the fight.
Five Things You Didn't Know About Heather Hardy
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