Greg Hardy Addresses Future Callouts: ‘Quit Saying My Name or I’m Going to Show Up’

Greg Hardy might not be the most beloved fighter on the UFC’s roster, but if he keeps on winning, people are going to have to accept his presence at some point.

Hardy (5-1) trounced Juan Adams in just 45 seconds on Saturday in one of the featured bouts of UFC on ESPN 4 in San Antonio. Adams popped the former NFL player with a few punches to the face and bloodied his nose, but once Adams was buzzed by some return firepower, the fight was all but over.

Adams (5-2) was clipped by a right to the head and then shot in with a single-leg takedown attempt after pawing with a jab. Hardy easily stuffed the Houston fighter’s shot and immediately began hammering down with punches to the head. Adams never relented on the takedown attempt and eventually turtled up while hugging the polarizing fighter’s leg. Hardy never stopped punching and eventually had the fight stopped when veteran referee Dan Miragliotta had no choice but to intervene.

“I heard the ref talking to Juan for a few seconds before the finish, telling him to move and defend himself,” Hardy said after his conquest. “I stuffed the takedown and he shelled up, so I aimed for the temple and jaw. I felt him go limp, so I eased up and tried to shake him off and that’s when Dan called it.”

Since Hardy left the NFL and turned his focus on fighting legally, he’s been vanquishing everybody quickly. The longest fight of his career was a 2:28 loss, but even in that fight he was dominating. Hardy had Allen Crowder nearly out when he pelted him with an illegal knee, resulting in a disqualification loss. Other than another win over Dmitry Smoliakov that last just 2:15, every other fight has been destruction in under a minute.

“Eventually I’m going to have a fight that lasts longer,” he said. “I love that I got hit and a little bloody and got to answer a few more questions. There are consequences to these actions and I’m the principal; I deliver the consequences.”

Hardy is still leagues away from stepping into the famed Octagon to oppose a high-level opponent. He’s just 30 and has natural athletic ability, so it’s a matter of time before his ascent through the heavyweight ranking leads him to bigger, better opponents. The American Top Team fighter knows where he stands, but he issued a warning to other fighters calling him out.

“I’m going to stick with my motto of leaving it to my agent and the UFC to figure out who is next,” he said. “Juan was the people’s hero and you see what happened to their hero. Quit saying my name or I’m going to show up.”