Greg Hardy in ESPN piece: ‘I am innocent’ of DV charges

The worldwide leader released a piece on the former NFL player, and did not shy away from the worst aspects of his past behavior.

(Content warning: this post addresses matters of domestic violence, with imagery in embedded video that may be objectionable to some)

Just ahead of one of the most important events in UFC history, ESPN has released a primer for the uninitiated regarding their most controversial signing, Greg Hardy.

ESPN’s Jeremy Schaap compiled a piece on the lead-up to the UFC’s first foray on ESPN, and it manages to address the concerns that fans and media have had in his journey to the UFC.

This piece is brief, but includes the previously released images of the bruising and injuries that his ex-partner Nicole Holder sustained. As expected, it begins with his journey in the NFL before moving on to his path in MMA (link here if unavailable on page).

Most disturbingly, at the 2:10 mark in the video it is noted that Hardy continues to deny any culpability whatsoever despite being convicted of the crime. Hardy’s ambivalence and oddly vague approach to answering the questions leads to a more direct exchange.

Narrator: Meanwhile, despite the outcome of the bench trial, he continued to deny that he’d attacked (Nicole) Holder.

Interviewer: You say you did nothing wrong, you’re innocent, and yet the pictures of her that surfaced would seem to suggest a woman who had had some type of physical contact. How do you explain that?

Hardy: Like I said, that’s a conversation for lawyers and whatnot. Pictures are pictures and they can be made to look like whatever they want to, but I will stop you there and say I didn’t do anything wrong. That situation occurred and that situation was handled, but as a man, you can’t avoid situations that aren’t your fault or that are your fault. I feel that saying that I did nothing wrong is a stretch, but saying that I am innocent is correct, yes sir.

Interviewer: Did you ever put your hands on her?

Hardy: No, sir.

Interviewer: Never?

Hardy: No, sir.

The piece goes on towards his drug arrest and his start in MMA, with highlights of his fights. Dana White’s assurances of Hardy turning over a new leaf also make a brief cameo.

It’s unusual for the UFC to be in a situation where such a critical eye is turned on them by a broadcast partner, as Fox Sports never really took this kind of initiative in some of the more controversial incidents of the past. But now that they’re at the big kids’ table, things have taken a turn.

Hardy is still scheduled to step in the cage against 9-3 Allan Crowder Saturday night in the co-main event of UFC Brooklyn, which has a main card start time of 10 PM ET/7 PM PT on ESPN+.

If you or anyone you know is in a domestic violence situation, please contact the National Domestic Violence hotline at 1-800-799-7233, or visit their website here.