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SAN ANTONIO – Greg Hardy spent only 45 seconds in the octagon at UFC on ESPN 4, but he was very pleased with his work against Juan Adams.
Hardy (5-1 MMA, 2-1 UFC) picked up his second consecutive UFC win Saturday when he quickly dispatched Adams (5-2 MMA, 1-2 UFC) with a TKO in the opening round of the heavyweight bout at AT&T Center.
The former NFL standout said he was hit a few times on the feet but was pleased with the fact he was able to reject Adams’ lone takedown attempt before a flurry of strikes forced the stoppage.
“I’m super proud of myself,” Hardy told reporters, including MMA Junkie, post-fight at UFC on ESPN 4. “Shout out to my coaches (at American Top Team), best in the country, best in the world. I’m making little developments. Everybody wants to talk about the cockiness and the things I say on camera, but everyone forgets the last statement.”
Although Adams protested the stoppage, Hardy believes it was just, given how the situation played out.
“I hit him 30-some-odd times,” Hardy said. “I think (the referee) said three times, ‘Defend yourself, Juan. You’ve got to do something.’ I kind of felt his body go limp. Dan (Miragliotta) gave him plenty of warnings.”
Hardy downplayed it in the build-up to the fight, but there was a personal element after Adams relentlessly attacked Hardy for his history of domestic violence. When the fight was stopped, Adams protested the result and stormed out of the octagon, which he later apologized for.
There were no bad feelings from Hardy after the fight, though, and he said he holds no ill will towards Adams.
“I did not see (him storm out of the cage),” Hardy said. “I was having such a good time just enjoying the victory. I did not see him in the ring when they were raising my hand. But God bless him. He’s a young man. I was young. We all remember the mistakes I was making when I was a kid. Hopefully he learns, he gets better. If he wants another knockout, I’ll send him to the hospital again. But maybe just learn some lessons and be better. That’s what we’re preaching out here. We’re becoming better human beings. We’re raising the bar, and I want to be that guy.”
Hardy lost his UFC debut in January by disqualification but has bounced back with two decisive victories inside the first round. He said his top priority is to go back to the gym as soon as possible and continue to work on his craft. The priority is to be booked for another fight as soon as possible.
As has been the case throughout Hardy’s young career, he refused to call anyone out. He’s made it clear his goal is to be UFC heavyweight champion, and he’s more motivated than ever to accomplish that aspiration after his latest win.
“There’s two things I need to do: I need to keep my promises to you guys with entertainment and a whole lot of pain, and I need to get into the lab and study,” Hardy said. “I need to become a student of the game even more so. I need to ignore the BS with the fans talking about fighting this opponent and this opponent and keep my mind on the goal, because everybody will get fought.”
For complete coverage of UFC on ESPN 4, check out the UFC Results.
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