Greg Hardy has said he is committed to his career in mixed martial arts and hopes to someday become a UFC champion, but that is not stopping him from continuing to play the sport that made him a household name.
On Friday, the Richmond Roughriders — an indoor football team in the American Arena League — confirmed to Chip Brierre of 8News that they have signed Hardy to a one-year contract. Hardy and rapper Jim Jones, a part owner of the Roughriders, spoke with TMZ about the signing.
“That man is a beast,” Jones said. “He’s not one of the regular players. He’s one of the best in his craft.”
Hardy is currently 2-0 in his MMA career, and he has his third fight scheduled for next month. He is expecting to make his debut with the Roughriders on March 17, which is about a month after the fight. Despite the grueling schedule, the former NFL star said he is prepared to “handle business” with both professional sports careers.
While it seemed for a while like Hardy was giving up on football, it’s possible his mind was changed by Vince McMahon announcing this week that the XFL is making a return in 2020. However, McMahon said the league is planning to be more family friendly this time around and will not hire players with police records. Hardy ended up having the charges dropped in his highly-publicized domestic violence case, but the details of the incident are disturbing. He was also arrested for possession of cocaine more recently.
