Dana White expressed his interest in bringing Greg Hardy back to the UFC if he proves his fighting abilities in other promotions.
In an interview with MMA fighting to preview UFC Fight Night: Volkov vs Aspinall in London, White was asked whether there was any interest in bringing Greg Hardy back. White answered, “We’ll see what he does outside of the UFC,” before going on to add that Hardy didn’t have a bad run in the organization and that he, “hung around in here (UFC) for a minute”.
“Always a first-class guy, loved working with him (Hardy). I like the guy. Let’s see what he can do in some of the smaller shows,” said White indicating a willingness to bring Hardy back to the organization if he is able to shine in other smaller promotions with some wins.
Hardy was not offered a new deal by the UFC after he lost his final three fights to complete his contract. The former NFL star back may have a soft spot in White’s heart given his journey moving up the ranks through the Contender Series.
His time in the promotion was marred by multiple controversial incidents such as the disqualification in his fight against Allen Crowder, illegal use of an inhaler at UFC Boston (that resulted in a No Contest overturn from a victory), and domestic abuse allegations.
Will Dana White give Hardy a new deal?
Dana White remains open to bringing Hardy back if he proves himself as a worthy fighter in other organizations. Hardy announced his release from the UFC on social media after his most recent loss at UFC 272. He expressed his gratitude to the UFC president and his team for their support.
He promised fans that ‘The Prince of War’ is far from over but did not indicate whether he was in talks with other promotions such as Bellator MMA, ONE Championship, or PFL (Professional Fighters League).
White also revealed what the future looks like for Tom Aspinall in the heavyweight division saying, “He wins tomorrow, he breaks into the top five,” before sharing his thoughts on Aspinall’s chances of getting a top contender fight, “He’ll be in the discussion.”
