Former Carolina Panthers and Dallas Cowboys defensive lineman Greg Hardy recently took part in his third career MMA fight. Well—technically, it was a fight since the other guy was in the ring for the same purpose as Hardy. But the reality of the situation is simple.
It was a fight in name only. It looked more like a big brother beating up on his younger and much smaller sibling. From the video, it is easy to see that the guy is significantly smaller than Hardy. So, it comes as no surprise that Hardy was able to score the knockout with relative ease in about 14 seconds.
The entire Greg Hardy fight in Deep Ellum tonight. (via @axs) @NBCDFW pic.twitter.com/5Wy1Hju4k6
— Pat Doney (@PatDoneyNBC5) February 17, 2018
The win improves Hardy's record to 3-0, all first-round knockouts. Between the three of them, he has spent less than three minutes inside the ring.
While it is easy to criticize Hardy's approach to getting his MMA career started, it makes sense. He may be a big, strong, tough guy but he was a football player—not a fighter. The skills in one don’t necessarily make a person good at the other. It takes time and training for a football player new to the fight game to get up to speed. Not only does he have to get in fighting shape, but he must learn how to fight like a pro. That takes more than just training but the practical application as well.
Of course, if you're new to fighting and try to take on a veteran fighter, it can be hard to test your own skill set. But at the same time, when it is as easy as his fights have been, there isn’t much testing going on either.
“I”m trying to take my time,” Hardy said, via Pro Football Talk’s Michael David Smith. “I’m going to leave it to my coaches . . . I’m going to leave it in their hands and let them make the decision.”
Football fans will always remember him for his domestic violence case back in 2014. Despite not getting convicted, the case resulted in the end of his football career and the beginning of his MMA one. There has been no word on when he'll actually take place in a competitive fight.
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