Late last year, polarizing ex-NFL star Greg Hardy announced intentions to put his roller-coaster football career on hold in order to pursue a career in mixed martial arts.
The decision was met with instant and widespread controversy, as Hardy’s Pro Bowl run as a defensive lineman was effectively derailed by domestic violence allegations that led to his departure from the Carolina Panthers and suspension for 10 games of the 2015 NFL season. A drug arrest on cocaine possession charges in Sept. 2016, which preceded his MMA announcement, also further complicated matters.
Hardy has since spent the last three months acclimating himself to MMA while living within the dorm rooms at the American Top Team gym in Coconut Creek, Fla.