- Greg Hardy played four seasons with the Panthers and one with the Cowboys
- Hardy fought ten times in the UFC before beginning his professional boxing career.
Former NFL star Greg Hardy received a brutal knockout during a boxing match in Texas on Thursday.
The former defensive end played in the NFL for five years before embarking on a career in combat sports after leaving the league.
After a stint in the UFC, Hardy ventured into boxing and built a 3-0 record with two knockouts after debuting in October 2022.
On Thursday, Hardy faced Patrick Mailata 6-2 in a Texas Combat League fight and became his opponent’s fourth knockout victim.
Mailata had Hardy on the ropes before embarking on the exchange that ended the fight. Mailata threw a left hand that went over Hardy’s guard but left him vulnerable to a right hook followed by a quick left hand.
Former NFL star Greg Hardy was brutally knocked out during a boxing match in Texas on Thursday.
The left hook caught the former football player on the chin before his knees buckled as he doubled over to the mat, nearly falling out of the ring over the bottom rope.
Before becoming a professional boxer, Hardy amassed a record of 7-5-1 (WL-NC) in MMA, including ten fights in the UFC. During his time in the promotion, Hardy fought high-profile heavyweights such as Alexander Volkov and Tai Tuivasa.
Two fights into his boxing career, Hardy also fought in the Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship and was knocked out by Josh Watson.
Hardy’s time in the NFL was split between four years with the Carolina Panthers and one season with the Dallas Cowboys. However, despite making the Pro Bowl and All-Pro second team in 2013, his football career was marked by controversy.
Hardy played four seasons with the Carolina Panthers and one with the Dallas Cowboys
After leaving the NFL, Hardy ventured into combat sports, including ten fights in the UFC.
On May 13, 2014, he was arrested after an ex-girlfriend alleged that Hardy threw her against a piece of furniture, strangled her, and threatened to kill her.
On July 15, a judge found him guilty of assault and communicating threats and sentenced him to 18 months of probation, suspending a 60-day jail sentence.
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell suspended Hardy for ten games on April 22, 2015, after a two-month investigation found enough evidence to prove the allegations.