Controversial former NFL player-turned-UFC heavyweight Greg Hardy will reportedly make his sophomore octagon appearance in April.
After his UFC debut went haywire with a disqualification loss because of an illegal knee, Hardy (3-1 MMA, 0-1 UFC) will attempt to redeem himself at UFC on ESPN 3 when he meets Dmitrii Smoliakov (9-2 MMA, 0-2 UFC) in a heavyweight affair.
ESPN.com reported the booking on Sunday night. It has not been announced by UFC officials.
UFC on ESPN 3 takes place April 27 at BB&T Center in Sunrise, Fla. The card is expected to air on ESPN following early prelims on ESPN+, though broadcast plans haven’t been finalized.
Following an NFL career that came to an end following a series of conduct issues, including an alleged domestic violence issue, Hardy transitioned to MMA and became an immediate success. His size, speed and power helped him quickly rack up knockout wins against low-level competition, including a pair of victories on Dana White’s Contender Series.
Hardy was brought in for his official UFC debut in January for a co-headlining bout against Allen Crowder at UFC on ESPN+ 1. He would lose by disqualification after an illegal knee strike, which he later said was unintentional and not a representation of the type of fighter he is.
Three months later, Hardy will have the chance to earn a clean victory when he takes on Smoliakov, who is a two-fight UFC veteran but hasn’t competed for the promotion since January 2017.
Smoliakov most recently competed in January where he earned a submission victory at a regional event in his native Russia.
With the addition, the latest UFC on ESPN 3 lineup now includes:
- Paulo Costa vs. Yoel Romero
- Ion Cutelaba vs. Glover Teixeira
- John Lineker vs. Cory Sandhagen
- Carla Esparza vs. Livinha Souza
- Andrei Arlovski vs. Augusto Sakai
- Dhiego Lima vs. Court McGee
- Jason Gonzalez vs. Jim Miller
- Jodie Esquibel vs. Jessica Penne
- Greg Hardy vs. Dmitrii Smoliakov
For more on UFC on ESPN 3, check out the UFC Rumors section of the site.
