Hardy returning for UFC vs. Smolyakov in April
Ariel Helwani is an MMA reporter at ESPN. Follow him on Twitter at @arielhelwani.
Greg Hardy will look to win his first UFC fight in April.
According to sources, Hardy is scheduled to meet Dmitry Smolyakov at the UFC Fight Night event in Sunrise, Florida, on April 27.
Hardy (3-1), the former NFL controversial NFL star turned mixed martial artist, lost his Octagon debut in January via disqualification when he landed an illegal knee on Allen Crowder in the second round.
Smolyakov (8-2) has lost his last two fights in a row, however, he hasn’t fought since January 2017. The Russian-born fighter is 0-2 in UFC fights.
Greg Hardy heard boos early and late in a UFC debut that ended when his illegal knee to the head of heavyweight challenger Allen Crowder resulted in disqualification Saturday night in New York.
The event, which will take place at the BB&T Center, doesn’t have a headliner booked just yet.
The initial plan was to schedule Yoel Romero vs. Paulo Costa, however, Romero is currently in the midst of filming a reality show. If he doesn’t get eliminated from the show soon, the promotion might look to book Costa vs. Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza, sources say.