- UFC heavyweight and former NFL player Greg Hardy wants to try a third sport.
- Speaking Wednesday to reporters, Hardy expressed interest in big boxing bouts.
- The 33-year-old fights Saturday but has an eye on Deontay Wilder and Jarrell Miller.
LAS VEGAS — The UFC heavyweight and former NFL player Greg Hardy wants to try a third sport by crossing over into boxing and is challenging Deontay Wilder and Jarrell Miller to get into the ring with him.
Hardy fights Saturday in a main card ESPN pay-per-view bout against Sergey Spivak at the UFC 272 event inside the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
Hardy is looking to rebound from a two-fight losing skid, while Spivak, too, wants to bounce back from a knockout loss to Tom Aspinall.
But regardless of the result this weekend, Hardy told reporters Wednesday at a media event Insider attended that he is looking to compete in boxing fights alongside his MMA career with the UFC.
"It's happening, bro," Hardy said when asked about boxing.
The 33-year-old is a multi-sport athlete who had previously competed in the NFL with the Carolina Panthers and Dallas Cowboys.
Boxing would be yet another sport Hardy wants to test himself in, but rather than start at a lower level, the American seemingly wants to jump into the deep end to see if he sinks, or swims.
"After this fight, we're definitely going to try and pursue some boxing," he said.
"I'll still do MMA because that gold is in my mind and in my heart. Deontay Wilder … I'm not ready for Tyson Fury yet. Anthony Joshua … I'd love to get in the ring and slap them boys up. Even 'Big Baby' Miller."
Fury is the No.1 heavyweight in boxing and defends his WBC championship belt in April against Dillian Whyte in London.
Wilder and Joshua are yet to book their next fights but will want to win separate bouts after coming unstuck in their most recent fights to Fury, and Oleksandr Usyk.
Miller has not fought since 2018 but has been embroiled in numerous performance-enhancing drug controversies.