Greg Hardy (@greghardyjr) is a bareknuckle fighter, mixed martial artist and former NFL All Pro Defensive End with the Carolina Panthers and Dallas Cowboys. He joins Chris Van Vliet to talk about signing with Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship (BKFC), his recent release from the UFC, the conversation he had with Dana White after his contract ended, his goals in BKFC, how he made the transition from professional football player to professional fighter, the best advice he ever received and more!
On Greg Hardy signing with BKFC:
“I think that it’s going to be a lot of fun for me. I have been dreaming about it since the news first came in. The possibilities with no takedowns, I get to bang now brother. [Chris mentions not cutting weight either] I think a lot people don’t realize when I was walking to the ring I had no energy and no charisma. I am coming from 330 and losing 30 to 40 pounds for a fight, I was hurting man.”
On his NFL weight:
“I stayed within 270 and 305. I played all of the defensive positions, when I was in the line, I tried to be around 305, but when I was like a line backer, I tried to be around 270, I fluctuate for a long time.”
On the difference in training in UFC and BKFC:
“I think a lot of the training in the UFC is all about preparing for what could happen and the basics, wrestling, kickboxing. That was who I was fighting. In BKFC I am boxing, so we are focusing on the boxing, the conditioning, my knuckles and the mindset. It’s a whole different style of fighting, but I am having so much fun with it too.”
On possibly taking damage:
“That is one of the most asked questions I get. I tell everybody the same thing, football is one of the most dangerous sports on the planet man. Imaging bashing yourself against all that metal and the plastic, I am banged up from the football, not from the fighting! But my knuckles are coarse and I have healed up, I’m ready.”
On who Greg Hardy wants to face:
“Everybody bro. My style is to start from the bottom, I hate it when people come in as the big dog without doing all the work. But eventually I want to clean out the top division, that is my goal 100%. Right now I am in a passion place and I want to clean up, get gold and knockout the UFC wannabees.”
On transitioning:
“I got a new book coming out called transitions. That’s what I want to do, I want to be a Jack of all trades and dominate it all. I just really come in, spectate, and I grow a respect for the sport. I then get into it and just start from the ground up, you’ve got to show the respect.”
On knowing his NFL career was done:
“Football is always a negotiation thing. My thing was 100% what happened, I walked out an innocent man, but the public opinion thought that something else had happened. That weighed big on getting back on teams after I left the Cowboys. I eventually got sick of all the try-outs and all the politics, I wanted to move on with my life. I was the best cross sport athlete at the time, it was the prime of my life. So football faded out as a passion and just became a job, so I moved to a sport with actual hungry people where you can test your metal. There was no ‘Jeff you are done.’ I just left the drama.”
On the UFC:
“I think the UFC is one of the biggest stages of competitions for fighters. Whenever you show up, man, it’s a brawl. Having to move in all the different directions and one punch will send you home, that’s a lesson man, but that will help me transition to BKFC. The punches don’t phase you and you’ve got to be able to bang.”
On his worst injuries:
“I’ve had 7 surgeries, all from football. My 5th metatarsal bone exploded in a stress factor one time, that was gone. It was the whole outside of my foot, not good. Second is either my motorcycle accident or where I tore part of my thumb off and it had to be sewed back on. I go to get the ball and it got caught in between the ball and the jersey. I got to rip it out and I can feel the skin ripping, not good! ”
On possibly going into wrestling:
“Hey, WWE, AEW, hit me up. I’ll come out with those Monday night muscles. I’ll come out with the half Rey Mysterio mask or Goldust, some entertainment stuff. You can’t just come out with tights and a six pack unless you are Brock Lesnar or The Rock.”
On what Greg Hardy is grateful for:
“My kids, the opportunities and my coaches.”
