Greg Hardy, the former NFL defensive end turned UFC fighter, was arrested Wednesday in Texas on a charge related to family violence.
According to TMZ, the 36-year-old was booked at 2:29 p.m. on a charge of “assault causing bodily injury to a family member.” Hardy is expected to remain in custody until Thursday morning, when he will appear before a judge and likely have bond set. No further details about the alleged assault have been released at this time.
Hardy has a troubled legal history. In 2014, he was convicted of assault and threatening a former girlfriend, but the charges were dropped in 2015 after an appeal and an out-of-court civil settlement. He was also arrested in 2016 for cocaine possession in Dallas.
A former standout for the Carolina Panthers, Hardy was a 2013 Pro Bowl selection after recording 13 sacks. He later signed a high-profile one-year deal with the Dallas Cowboys in 2015, but it marked the end of his NFL career.
After leaving football, Hardy transitioned to mixed martial arts, earning a contract with the UFC in 2018. He fought 13 times, finishing with a 7–5 record and one no contest. His most recent bout was a 2024 boxing match against Russian fighter Alexey Papin, where Hardy was defeated.
Reflecting on his fight career, Hardy once stated: “I don’t take easy fights… sometimes the price is high, but I’ll pay it to become the best.”
