Former National League Football (NFL) defensive lineman Greg Hardy, who laced up his cleats for Carolina Panthers and Dallas Cowboys, announced his transition to mixed martial arts (MMA) on Tuesday, undoubtedly eyeing a future with Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) or Bellator MMA.
There's just one little problem.
Hardy, 28, was hit with domestic abuse charges that benched him in 2014, then followed that up in 2015 with an arrest for possession of cocaine. Not a good look for any professional athlete and that sort of history is unwelcome in combat sports, according to longtime coach and NFL insider Jay Glazer.
From his conversation with The Rich Eisen Show (via MMA Junkie):
"It's pretty cut and dry here, and I asked all my fellow MMA coaches not to give this guy a chance because he doesn't deserve it. It's a privilege to play this sport or play football, and we here at Unbreakable Performance, and I know other places I've worked, we actually train women to defend themselves against people like Greg Hardy and with threats to violence. So yes, I'm calling on every other coach out there to not train this dude. He does not deserve it, he doesn't deserve to be allowed to be around us, it's not what we stand for. And I know people go, ‘Well, there's a problem with domestic violence in MMA.' There are individuals there who do that in our sport, too, and I don't think they should be in our sport, either. That's the bottom line. If you are violent with a woman, you play a violent sport, your privilege should be stripped of you. Greg Hardy, if you're listening, choose another sport."
Aside from a pair of professional fights back in 2003, Glazer has long been associated with MMA alongside names like Randy Couture and operates Sunset Boulevard Gym in West Hollywood, Calif., where he helps train NFL fighters during the off season.
Safe to say Hardy won't be showing up at his facility -- or any others in "The Golden State" -- anytime soon.
Get the latest gear
