Bellator 180 results: Heather Hardy finishes Alice Yauger in pro debut

Heather Hardy’s long been an undefeated boxer. After Saturday night, she’s an unbeaten mixed martial artist as well.

Hardy was well on her way to a decision victory over Alice Yauger at Bellator 180 on Saturday night when Yauger opened a nasty cut over Hardy’s left eye with an accidental headbutt. After being cleared to continue, the Brooklyn native came out firIng, earning a TKO finish at 4:47 of the third round at New York’s Madison Square Garden.

“Everyone knows the toughest girls on the planet are from Brooklyn, New York,” Hardy told the hometown crowd.

In the opening round, Hardy seemed to have a bit of trouble finding her range. She winged big right hands which sometimes hit and sometimes missed. When she missed, Yauger, a Texas native in her 10th pro fight, pounced and followed with solid knees in the clinch.

Hardy took control in the second round, however, as she began to punish Yauger. Hardy bloodied Yauger’s face and kept her guessing by mixing up her combos and landing to the body as well.

Yauger proved to be a tough and durable fighter, as she took everything Hardy -- who started mixing in kicks in the third round as her confidence grew -- could dish out. But she never seriously threatened Hardy before the headbutt which led to the finishing sequence.

“I knew she had to get back up and wanted to keep punching her,” Hardy said.

Hardy, who is 20-0 (1 NC) in boxing, is now 1-0 in MMA. Yauger dropped to 4-6, 0-2 in Bellator.