Greg Hardy on DQ in UFC Debut: 'I Hate People Thinking That I Was a Cheater'

Former NFL defensive end Greg Hardy addressed his disqualification loss to Allen Crowder in his UFC debut at Fight Night 143 on Saturday and the impact it had on his MMA reputation.

Hardy kneed Crowder while Crowder was grounded, which led referee Dan Miragliotta to call for the bell in the second round. 

In an interview with TMZ Sports, Hardy said he made a "rookie mistake" and that he wasn't intentionally trying to bend the rules. He added he "[hates] people thinking that I was a cheater."

UFC President Dana White came to Hardy's defense after the fight.

"Yeah, he'll get another fight," White told reporters. "He made a real big rookie mistake, and it caused him an L tonight. It ruined his perfect record."

Crowder didn't dwell on the infraction either.

"There's a lot of people that have made the same mistake," he said in an interview with TMZ Sports. "I have no hard feelings against him at all. He was tired, and s--t happens. I have no hard feelings about it at all."

Less than two years after Hardy's first amateur fight—a technical knockout of Joe Hawkins in November 2017—he was afforded the opportunity to compete on a UFC card. The company offered him a developmental contract last June after he knocked out Austen Lane in the first round during the season premiere of Dana White's Tuesday Night Contender Series.

The UFC's decision to bring Hardy into the fold was met with criticism given the circumstances in which he made his transition to combat sports.

A judge found Hardy guilty of assaulting his ex-girlfriend, Nicole Holder, and communicating threats to her in July 2014. Deadspin's Diana Moskovitz provided a detailed report of the allegations in November 2015 (warning: post contains profanity and graphic images).

Prosecutors dropped the charges against Hardy in February 2015 after Holder told them she didn't want to testify in Hardy's appeal trial and did not appear to do so.

Hardy appeared in 12 games for the Dallas Cowboys during the 2015 season and subsequently went unsigned in the offseason. He has yet to play in another NFL game.