Greg Hardy says he's ready to get back in the Octagon RIGHT NOW after destroying Dmitry Smolyakov this weekend ... telling TMZ Sports he knows he's getting better by the day.
The ex-NFL star annihilated Smolyakov in a violent 2-minute beatdown at "UFC Fight Night" in Florida on Saturday -- with Hardy BARELY taking any damage in the fight.
So, we asked Hardy when he's planning to take another fight ... and his answer was simple, "As soon as possible, dude."
Here's the deal ... Hardy says he's laser-focused on his new career and he's working his ass off to get better.