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The Guardian - US
The Guardian - US
Sport
Les Carpenter

Disgraced NFL defensive end Greg Hardy to pursue MMA career

Greg Hardy
Greg Hardy, shown here with the Dallas Cowboys last year, will compete as a heavyweight in MMA. Photograph: Tim Heitman/USA Today Sports

Former NFL player Greg Hardy, whose off-field behavior drove him from professional football, is attempting to become a mixed martial arts fighter.

MMAfighting.com reports that Hardy has been training for several months in a Dallas-area gym and hopes to make his debut soon. The report also says that several organizations are interesting in signing Hardy, but did not name them.

The 6ft 4in, 278lb Hardy would be an intriguing fighter. His quickness and power made him one of the best pass rushers in the NFL, with 15 sacks for the Carolina Panthers in 2013 that earned him a spot in the Pro Bowl. But his repeated troubles both away from football and in locker rooms have come to define his football career. He was found guilty in 2014 of a vicious assault of his ex-girlfriend, who said he threw her against a wall, in a bathtub and onto a futon loaded with guns.

“He looked me in the eyes and said he was going to kill me,” the woman testified. “I was so scared I wanted to die. When he loosened his grip just slightly I said: ‘Just do it. Kill me.’”

Hardy was sentenced to 18 months of probation and a suspended 60-day jail term. The conviction was dismissed a year later when his accuser did not attend his appeal. Still the incident and the details of the police report have followed Hardy. Anti-abuse advocates pressured the Panthers to release Hardy, which they did after the NFL suspended him in 2014. He signed with the Dallas Cowboys before the 2015 season, played sluggishly in 12 games and was not re-signed with his team-mates suggesting he was a bad influence on his teammates.

Last month he was arrested in a Dallas suburb for possession of cocaine.

MMAfighting.com says Hardy will fight as a heavyweight. He is expected to made his debut sometime next year.

“I’m very focused and excited to start my MMA career,” he said in a statement provided to the site. “I’m going to do this the right way, I can assure you of that. I’m fully committed to being as successful as I can be in this sport.”

Several pro football players have expressed interest in becoming MMA fighters but have rarely succeeded. The most successful is Brock Lesnar, who played in a training camp with the Minnesota Vikings before successful runs in the WWE and UFC.

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