Former NFL player turned professional MMA fighter Greg Hardy earned a contract with the UFC after defeating Austen Lane on Dana White’s Tuesday Night Contender Series Episode 9.
Hardy has had various issues with domestic violence in the past, which is the main reason he no longer competes in the NFL. Fellow UFC fighter Jessica-Rose Clark has been a victim of domestic violence in the past and she doesn’t want to see Hardy compete in the promotion.
“Athletic ability seems to supersede any negative thing you do in your life. You see it time and time again, like Kobe Bryant. It happens so often and it blows my mind that that’s where our society is at. Like, ‘Oh, he did all these really terrible things, but he’s an amazing athlete, so f**k it, let’s just let him keep going and let him keep making his millions and let him keep being on TV.’ There’s no punishment. What stops him from going and doing it to the next girlfriend? I promise you that wasn’t the first girlfriend that he did that to but he didn’t get punished for that one, either. He didn’t get punished for the first one and he didn’t get punished for that one and now he’s going to be televised on one of the largest broadcasts in the world, for one of the most popular sports in the world. Where the f**k is the punishment? What’s stopping him from doing it to every girl that comes into contact with him?,” Clark said on Phonebooth Fighting.
Clark isn’t the only UFC fighter not happy with Hardy in the organization, as we can also add heavyweight Derrick Lewis to that list.
Lewis saw what his mother went through with domestic violence when he was a child, which is why the fighter doesn’t like having Hardy around.
“I think he looked good, but as soon as the fight ended, I started thinking about his (ex-girlfriend),” Lewis said on UFC Tonight. “I was like, I wonder if he had hit her like that. I don’t know, man. I really don’t like guys like that because I grew up with a troubled past, and I saw my stepdad fight my mom just about every single day. I don’t even remember one day they didn’t go without arguing or fighting. Of course, you know, I love fighting guys like that. I’m more motivated fighting guys like that. I was more motivated to fight Travis Browne whenever I did. So, I would like that matchup.”
UFC President Dana White has already come to the defense of Hardy, incorrectly stating that the former NFL star was never charged with any crimes, although the newly signed UFC star was actually charged with a variety of domestic violence related charges.
