Greg Hardy continues to make the necessary changes to improve in the Octagon and on Saturday night the embattled former NFL Pro Bowler picked up fourth win the UFC. The UFC heavyweight scored a TKO win over Maurice Greene in their match at UFC Vegas 12.
It was an impressive showing for the 32-year-old Hardy, who returned to the Octagon fresh off his camp with a new team in South Florida. Hardy flashed his signature power, dropping Greene to the mat with a couple of right hands in the first round. Hardy went in for the ground strikes but recognizing he'd be unable to finish his opponent, Hardy wisely stepped back and let Greene up to return to where he's comfortable in the stand-up striking game.
"It's my first time down there [fighting on the ground] consciously. I put myself in a situation and worked it out," Hardy said after the match. "I just tried to get as much as I could down there while staying safe before getting back up and finishing the fight the way I know how."
Hardy continued to overpower his opponent, dropping Greene again early in round two. This time, Hardy's unrelenting pursue paid off as his series of unanswered strikes forced referee Herb Dean to step in and wave off the fight.
Hardy credited head trainers Din Thomas and UFC Hall of Famer Rashad Evans for his improvement in the Octagon.
"It has been epic," Hardy said. "A big example is when we went to the ground. It was my first time down there and I had time to think about all of our drills and times in camp down there working through stuff. Just those little bit of details helped me get through the decision making and getting back to what we know and love with knockouts."
With the win, Hardy improves to 7-2 (1 NC) in his mixed martial arts career. He's now rattled off two-straight wins since his loss to Alexander Volkov in November 2019. It's his second win of 2020 and when asked when he wants to return, Hardy expressed eagerness to jump back in.
"What are you all doing next week?" Hardy said. "I ain't got nothing going on. Let's do it."
TheRingReport.com, and/or the user who contributed this post, may earn commissions or revenue through clicks or purchases made through any third-party links contained within the content above.