Greg Hardy
Greg Hardy delivered a knockout in his pro MMA debut to earn a UFC contract. Pictured: Defensive end Greg Hardy #76 of the Dallas Cowboys on the sidelines before a game against the New England Patriots at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, Oct. 11, 2015. Christian Petersen/Getty Images

Former Carolina Panthers defensive end Greg Hardy is officially a UFC fighter following his pro debut win in the season two premiere of Dana White's Tuesday Night Contender Series.

Hardy, who holds a 3-0 amateur record since making the transition to mixed martial arts in 2017, knocked out fellow former NFL pro Austen Lane just under a minute into the first round with UFC president White later confirming he would receive a contract.

"When you look at a guy like Hardy, Hardy has no experience, tonight was his professional fight but man, he can punch," White said after the show. "And obviously there's a lot more to that guy so what we're going to do is we're actually going to bring Hardy in and this guy needs to get more experience, we'll figure out how to do that, we've done this before."

"We've talked about some ideas to help this guy grow, he's already with a great team [American Top Team] with Dan Lambert and his crew down in Florida. He's in the right place as far as training and learning and now he just needs some experience and we can do that too."

Such a signing won't be without controversy though, as Hardy was found guilty of assaulting his ex-girlfriend in 2014. However, his misdemeanor charges were dismissed and expunged after the victim failed to show up in court for a jury trial.

White previously stated he would never allow anyone into the UFC with a history of domestic violence but claimed before Hardy's pro debut that he deserved a second chance.

"If you talk to anybody he trains with, male or female, they say that he’s a very good guy. He’s very humble," White said, as per Sporting News. "Everybody deserves a second chance. The guy was never charged with anything, he was never sentenced or anything like that. We’re going to give him a shot."

Hardy meanwhile, was thankful to White for the second chance as he was pleased to have earned a UFC contract.

"It’s exciting," Hardy said of his signing, according to Bloody Elbow. "It’s everything I could ask for."

Last month, Hardy claimed he was looking forward to future fights with the likes of heavy-hitting Derrick Lewis and Francis Ngannou once he gains more experience.

"I think Francis [Ngannou] or Derrick [Lewis]," Hardy said of potential future opponents. "It would be a heavyweight collision. Those guys are skilled, everybody says they are just punchers, but I know those guys have a lot of skills."

"I know they've been working hard since the last time they fought because of the ridicule that they have gotten, so I just feel like by the time I get there it will be a hell of a fight," he said.

Light heavyweight Alonzo Menifield was the other fighter to receive a UFC contract after his first round TKO win over Dashawn Boatwright in the main event of the show.

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