Controversial ex-NFL player Greg Hardy to make pro MMA debut on UFC’s ‘Contender Series’

A former NFL All-Pro with a controversial past will get a crack at fighting in the UFC.

Greg Hardy will make his professional mixed martial arts debut on June 12 in a heavyweight matchup against Brandon Sayles on a Dana White’s Tuesday Night Contender Series event in Las Vegas. MMA Fighting confirmed an initial report by MMA Today.

Hardy, who trains with American Top Team, has a 3-0 record as an amateur, with all three victories coming by way of knockout in under two minutes.

Sayles (5-1), who is based in Ft. Benning, GA, has won three straight fights, with his only career loss being a 2012 decision to former UFC and Bellator competitor Chase Gormley.

Hardy played six years in the NFL, earning a Pro Bowl berth in 2013 as a defensive end with the Carolina Panthers. He was arrested on charges of domestic violence in 2014 and for cocaine possession in 2016.