Heather Hardy releases statement after crushing Bellator 185 loss - ‘Watch me bounce back’

Things did not go as planned for world boxing champion Heather Hardy last night (Fri., Oct. 20, 2017) at Bellator 185 live on Spike TV from inside Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn., as the 35-year-old was absolutely starched by Kristina Williams via second-round TKO (highlights here).

While this was just Hardy’s second professional mixed martial arts (MMA) bout, the New York native had amassed an undefeated record of 20-0 (1 NC) as a pro boxer, making this her first true loss. Hardy put up a valiant effort en route to getting her nose broken, but the cageside doctor’s decided she had enough at the end of the second round.

Needless to say, this is a huge hurdle to overcome for Hardy and her ascension in Bellator MMA’s flyweight division. After sleeping off the defeat and recalculating the mistakes she made opposite Williams, Hardy took to social media for her first official statement.

“I’m sorry I let everyone down. I gave it my all out there, and I truly hope it showed,” Hardy wrote via Instagram. “I’d rather lose then give y’all a boring fight because I appreciate every one of you… sponsors, coaches, friends, family and fans… and the worst part was knowing I couldn’t get the job done for all of you. Congrats to a game Kristina Williams, who had an answer for everything I tried. OSU! And in case everyone is wondering, YES, I will be back. Nothing will ever take the fight out of me, not even this broken nose. I knew coming into this new world I was taking a big risk, and this is all part of my journey. You’ve all heard how resilient I am. Now watch me bounce back.”

While her loss to Williams was considered a huge upset, Hardy seems resilient in her approach to MMA. Boxing is a world she has already conquered and escaped without loss, so stepping back inside of the cage at this point may actually bring out a side in Hardy she didn’t know she had.

Still, regardless of her bloodied face and crushing TKO loss on national television, Hardy put forth admirable effort at Bellator 185 and is quickly showing why she’s one of the most exciting strikers in women’s MMA today.

For complete Bellator 185 results and coverage click here.