Greg Hardy TKOs Smoliakov early for 1st UFC win
Greg Hardy got back to finishing fights in the first round in the co-main event of UFC Fort Lauderdale on Saturday.
Hardy defeated Dmitrii Smoliakov by TKO via ground-and-pound just 2:15 into the first round to move to 4-1 in his professional career, and 1-1 in the UFC. He was disqualified due to an illegal knee in his first UFC bout in January.
U.S. viewers
1️⃣& done for @GregHardyJr!!#UFCFtLauderdale on ESPN+ pic.twitter.com/E8gesBMrER
— UFC (@ufc) April 28, 2019
Canadian viewers
DOMINANT TKO win for @GregHardyJr at #UFCFtLauderdale! pic.twitter.com/oCqYDskAK2
— UFC Canada (@UFC_CA) April 28, 2019
Hardy won his first two fights in the "Dana White Tuesday Night Contender Series" in less than a minute to earn a UFC contract. He also defeated Ray Jones in XFN before his main card debut in January.
Smoliakov appeared to want no part of Hardy from the outset. The 36-year-old Russian was unsuccessful on a couple of takedown attempts and managed minimal offense, registering just one strike. Hardy dropped his opponent with a right hand and then landed a series of ground strikes before the referee stopped the fight.
Hardy was met with boos from the Florida crowd. His past, which includes a domestic violence case during his NFL career, has made him an unpopular figure in the UFC.