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Victims of domestic abuse ask the UFC to reconsider allowing Greg Hardy to compete

Former Dallas Cowboys DE Greg Hardy is 3-0 as an amateur mixed martial artist. (Getty Images)
Former Dallas Cowboys DE Greg Hardy is 3-0 as an amateur mixed martial artist. (Getty Images)

Former NFL player turned MMA fighter Greg Hardy will make his UFC debut as part of Dana White’s “Tuesday Night Contender Series” when the show returns for its second season on June 12.

Hardy made the transition to mixed martial arts after a much publicized 2014 domestic violence incident where he threatened to kill his ex-girlfriend which led to a lengthy suspension from the NFL. After the rest of the league passed on the services of the embattled former All-Pro defensive end, Hardy decided to try his hand at MMA.

The 29-year-old is 3-0 in the amateur ranks with all three victories coming by way of first round knockout. No opponent has lasted longer than 96 seconds against the former Dallas Cowboys and Carolina Panthers defensive end. All signs point to a very high profile stint with the UFC, but his troubled past raises several red flags for a promotion that has previously cut fighters for domestic violence incidents. Thiago Silva was infamously sent packing after domestic assault charges and Dana White went as far as to say that there is no bouncing back from a fighter putting their hands on a woman.

Which makes this entire Greg Hardy situation dicey. To make matters more complicated, women who are fans of the UFC and were victims of domestic abuse are asking that White reconsider allowing Hardy to compete for the company next month.

Others are also questioning the UFC’s stance on the issue.

It’s unlikely that this will do anything to prevent Hardy from competing considering that he is drawing plenty of attention to the UFC. One has to be concerned, however, about the precedent set by allowing an athlete with Hardy’s checkered history into the promotion and what that says about future domestic incidents with UFC fighters.

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