Former NFL standout and current UFC heavyweight Greg Hardy thinks his MMA run has already made him the “best crossover combat sports athlete” of his generation, but he expects to solidify that with success in boxing.
Hardy (7-2 MMA, 4-2 UFC) returns to action on Saturday for a fight with Marcin Tybura (20-6 MMA, 7-5 UFC) at UFC Fight Night 183, which takes place at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas and streams on ESPN+. Winning his upcoming bout and continuing to thrive inside the octagon is the immediate goal, but there are greater aspirations, as well.
That includes an eventual switch to boxing, where Hardy is targeting fights with the big three of the heavyweight division in Tyson Fury, Anthony Joshua, and Deontay Wilder.
“After I get done shutting this down, handling my MMA business, I will transition into the boxing world,” Hardy told reporters, including MMA Junkie, during Thursday’s virtual media day. “I’m trying to holler at Dana (White). Hopefully we can get some fights in the Zuffa Boxing world, Top Rank, Al Haymon – somebody come holler at this dude because I definitely want to go over there and knock out ‘The Gypsy King,’ make light work of that English cat Joshua, or whatever it is, ‘Cry-baby Bomber.’ We’ll knock all those guys out, man. Of course you know I’m going to work for it. It’s an aspiration I think will come true real fast, and I can’t wait for it.”
Hardy might be teasing a move to the boxing ring, but right now his priority is MMA. He knows Tybura is a challenging opponent for him, given the fact the Polish fighter has headlined UFC cards and shared the octagon with some of the best.
It’s clear, however, that Hardy is confident in his ability to climb the division and win one of the more challenging matchups in his career.
“I see a lot of hard fights, I see a lot of big-name opponents, and I look forward to working,” Hardy said. “The sky’s the limit, and it’s a beautiful time to fight. … It never means anything to me until I win the gold. I’m hungry. I started from the bottom on purpose so I can climb back up.”
