History of Greg Hardy in Timeline

Greg Hardy is an American athlete known for his careers in both American football and mixed martial arts. He played as a defensive end in the NFL for six seasons, most notably with the Carolina Panthers. Following his NFL career, Hardy transitioned to mixed martial arts and boxing, marking a career shift to combat sports.

Sections (5)

Full Timeline Career & Achievements Success & Recognition Challenges & Struggles Controversies & Scandals

July 28, 1988: Gregory McKarl Hardy Born

On July 28, 1988, Gregory McKarl Hardy was born. He is an American mixed martial artist, boxer, and former football defensive end.

Others born on this day/year

2004: State Championship in Football

In 2004, Greg Hardy helped lead his high school football team to the state championship.

2006: Basketball Season

In 2006, Greg Hardy played in 15 basketball games, averaging just under one point and two rebounds per contest.

2007: Performance in SEC Tournament

In 2007, Greg Hardy had his best basketball performance against the University of Florida in the SEC tournament, scoring 6 points and 4 rebounds.

January 2009: Second Foot Surgery

In January 2009, Greg Hardy underwent a second surgery on his right foot during the off-season.

April 2009: Named Top Prospect

In April 2009, Greg Hardy was named a top prospect for the 2010 NFL draft by Sports Illustrated.

July 12, 2009: Car Accident and Foot Injury Aggravation

On July 12, 2009, Greg Hardy was involved in a car accident with Dexter McCluster and aggravated his foot injury.

2009: Considered for NFL Draft, Returns to Ole Miss

In 2009, Greg Hardy was considered a top prospect for the NFL draft, but elected to return to Ole Miss for his senior season.

June 17, 2010: Signed Contract with Panthers

On June 17, 2010, Greg Hardy signed a contract with the Carolina Panthers.

2010: Drafted by Carolina Panthers

In 2010, Greg Hardy was drafted by the Carolina Panthers in the NFL.

2010: NFL Draft Stock Falls

In 2010, Greg Hardy's draft stock fell due to injuries, poor production, and an unimpressive combine.

November 9, 2012: Fined for Roughing the Passer

On November 9, 2012, Greg Hardy was fined $15,750 for a roughing the passer penalty.

2012: Recorded 11 Sacks Despite Injury

In 2012, Greg Hardy recorded 11 sacks despite sustaining a broken thumb in September.

June 11, 2013: Hardy States Goal for 50 Sacks

On June 11, 2013, Greg Hardy spoke to reporters claiming his goal for sacks in the 2013 season to be 50.

2013: Record-Setting Season

In 2013, Greg Hardy finished with a single game team record of four sacks and ended up recording a team-record 15 sacks, earning his first trip to the 2014 Pro Bowl and being named a second-team All Pro.

2013: Successful Season with Panthers

In 2013, Greg Hardy had a successful season setting a Carolina Panthers' single-season record for sacks and earning Pro Bowl and second-team All-Pro honors.

February 28, 2014: Franchise Tag

On February 28, 2014, the Carolina Panthers placed the franchise tag on Greg Hardy.

May 13, 2014: Arrested for Assault

On May 13, 2014, Greg Hardy was arrested for assault and communicating threats.

September 14, 2014: Hardy Deactivated

On September 14, 2014, Greg Hardy was deactivated from the team.

September 17, 2014: Placed on Exempt List

On September 17, 2014, Greg Hardy was placed on the exempt list by the league.

2014: Pro Bowl Appearance

In 2014, Greg Hardy made his first appearance at the Pro Bowl following his successful 2013 season.

2014: Controversy and Departure from Panthers

In 2014, Greg Hardy played one game with the Panthers and was not re-signed due to controversy surrounding assault allegations.

March 2015: Panthers Decision Not to Re-Sign Hardy

In March 2015, the Carolina Panthers decided not to re-sign Greg Hardy due to off-field issues.

March 18, 2015: Signed with Dallas Cowboys

On March 18, 2015, Greg Hardy signed a one-year contract with the Dallas Cowboys.

April 22, 2015: NFL Suspends Hardy

On April 22, 2015, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell suspended Greg Hardy for 10 games.

July 10, 2015: Suspension Reduced

On July 10, 2015, an arbiter reduced Greg Hardy's suspension from ten games to four games.

November 5, 2015: Charges Expunged

On November 5, 2015, the domestic violence charges against Greg Hardy were expunged from his record.

2015: Suspension for Violating NFL Personal Conduct Policy

In 2015, Greg Hardy was suspended for violating the NFL Personal Conduct Policy. The initial 10-game suspension was reduced to 4 games.

September 26, 2016: Arrested for Cocaine Possession

On September 26, 2016, Greg Hardy was arrested for cocaine possession in Dallas, Texas.

October 2016: Announced MMA Career

In October 2016, Greg Hardy announced he would start a mixed martial arts career.

November 4, 2017: Amateur MMA Debut

On November 4, 2017, Greg Hardy made his amateur MMA debut, defeating Joe Hawkins by knockout.

December 1, 2017: Second Amateur MMA Win

On December 1, 2017, Greg Hardy's amateur MMA record improved to 2-0 with a first-round TKO victory over Kenneth Woods.

2017: Participated in The Spring League

In 2017, Greg Hardy participated in The Spring League.

January 2018: Signed with Richmond Roughriders

In January 2018, Greg Hardy signed with the Richmond Roughriders of the American Arena League.

February 16, 2018: Third Amateur MMA Win

On February 16, 2018, Greg Hardy was victorious in his third amateur bout, defeating Ryan Chester via knockout.

April 2018: Professional Debut Announced

In April 2018, it was announced that Greg Hardy would make his professional debut at Dana White's Contender Series 9 on June 12.

September 29, 2018: Third Professional Fight

On September 29, 2018, Greg Hardy faced Rasheem Jones at Xtreme Fight Night 352 and won by knockout in the first round.

January 19, 2019: UFC Debut and Loss via Disqualification

On January 19, 2019, Greg Hardy made his UFC debut against Allen Crowder and lost via disqualification due to an illegal knee strike.

April 27, 2019: Second UFC Fight

On April 27, 2019, Greg Hardy faced Dmitry Smolyakov at UFC Fight Night and won via TKO in the first round.

July 20, 2019: UFC Fight

On July 20, 2019, Greg Hardy faced Juan Adams at UFC on ESPN 4 and won the fight via TKO in the first round.

October 26, 2019: Fight Rescheduled

On October 26, 2019, Greg Hardy was scheduled to face Jarjis Danho, but he was pulled from the event. Hardy was then rescheduled to fight Ben Sosoli.

November 9, 2019: UFC Fight

On November 9, 2019, Greg Hardy faced Alexander Volkov at UFC Fight Night 163, losing by unanimous decision.

2019: Signed with UFC

In 2019, Greg Hardy signed with the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC).

March 28, 2020: Fight Postponed Due to Covid-19

On March 28, 2020, Greg Hardy was scheduled to face Yorgan De Castro. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the event was eventually postponed.

May 9, 2020: UFC Fight

On May 9, 2020, Greg Hardy fought Yorgan De Castro and won by unanimous decision.

October 31, 2020: UFC Fight

On October 31, 2020, Greg Hardy faced Maurice Greene at UFC Fight Night 181 and won by technical knockout in round two.

December 19, 2020: UFC Fight

On December 19, 2020, Greg Hardy faced Marcin Tybura at UFC Fight Night 183. He lost the fight in the second round via technical knockout.

July 10, 2021: UFC Fight

On July 10, 2021, Greg Hardy faced Tai Tuivasa at UFC 264 and lost the fight via knockout in round one.

January 22, 2022: UFC 270 Bout Removal

On January 22, 2022, Greg Hardy was scheduled to fight Aleksei Oleinik at UFC 270, but Oleinik withdrew. Serghei Spivac was to replace him, but Hardy withdrew due to a finger injury, removing the bout from the event.

March 5, 2022: Loss to Spivac at UFC 272

On March 5, 2022, Greg Hardy fought Serghei Spivac at UFC 272, losing the fight via technical knockout in the first round.

June 15, 2022: Signed with Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship

On June 15, 2022, it was reported that Greg Hardy signed a multi-fight contract with the Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship after his UFC tenure.

October 8, 2022: Professional Boxing Debut

On October 8, 2022, Greg Hardy made his professional boxing debut against Mike Cook, winning by knockout in the 2nd round.

November 19, 2022: Victory over Hasim Rahman Jr.

On November 19, 2022, Greg Hardy defeated Hasim Rahman Jr. by unanimous decision on the undercard of MF & DAZN: X Series 003, taking the fight on one week's notice.

2022: End of UFC run

In 2022, Greg Hardy's time in the UFC came to an end.

February 17, 2023: Bare-Knuckle Debut Loss

On February 17, 2023, Greg Hardy made his bare-knuckle debut against Josh Watson at BKFC KnuckleMania 3, losing the fight by knockout in round 2.

June 2, 2023: Knockout Loss to Alexander Flores

On June 2, 2023, Greg Hardy was knocked out by Alexander Flores in an exhibition round with Team Combat League boxing promotion, marking his first loss since joining the Dallas Enforcers boxing team.