Greg Hardy
Ex NFL star turned MMA fighter Greg Hardy is currently signed to a development deal with the UFC via Dana White’s Contender Series, but his troubled past continues to cast a dark shadow over him.
A former defensive end for both the Carolina Panthers and Dallas Cowboys, Hardy appeared to have the world at his feet, but in July of 2014 he was found guilty of having assaulted an ex-girlfriend.
During an argument Hardy is believed to have picked up and thrown his girlfriend onto the tiled floor in his bathroom, then dragged her to the bedroom by her hair while threatening to kill her.
He proceeded to choke her and then again picked her up and threw her onto a settee full of loaded assault rifles and shotguns.
The victim claimed in a sworn testimony that she had, “bruises from head to toe, including my head, neck, back, shoulders arms, legs, elbow and feet.”
Hardy was subsequently found guilty of assault and communicating threats, leading to him being sentenced to 18 months probation, though after a subsequent appeal in which the woman failed to testify, the charges were dropped.
A media backlash and continued misconduct would eventually result in Hardy’s football career collapsing, but the UFC has controversially decided that everyone deserves a second chance and brought him under their wing after he turned to MMA.
