Former Panthers DE Greg Hardy brutally KO’d in bare-knuckle boxing debut

If you were wondering what former Carolina Panthers defensive end Greg Hardy is up to these days, why would you? But if you really were, we found him . . . he just may be a bit groggy at the moment.

On Friday night, the football player turned professional fighter made his bare-knuckle boxing debut inside Tingley Coliseum in Albuquerque, N.M. Part of Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship’s Knucklemania 3 card, Hardy closed as a -1100 favorite over challenger Josh Watson.

There was, however, nothing favorable for him about this . . .

GREG HARDY JUST GOT SLEPT pic.twitter.com/yMOT2ayV0T

— Spinnin Backfist (@SpinninBackfist) February 18, 2023

That starching marked Hardy’s first combat loss in almost a year, when he suffered a technical knockout defeat at the hands of Sergey Spivak at UFC 272 on March 5, 2022. He would not see his UFC contract renewed following that setback, his third straight in the promotion.

Hardy would then move on to his pro boxing career, beginning with a knockout win over Mike Cook back on Oct. 8, 2022. He made a brisk return to the ring just a month and a half later, outclassing Hasim Rahman Jr. to capture a unanimous decision.

But unfortunately for the “Prince of War,” his latest bout was pretty unanimous in all the wrong ways.